^fi 


Richard  M'Nemar.  The  Kentucky  Revival; 
'or,  a  short  history...  [and]  ShakerisnT 
..  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  (1807;1846: 


YhJ^ 


THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  ILLINOIS 

LIBRARY 

X  289.8 
M23K 

184G 


K.'^^ 


mm  mmm  ^prt 


i 


THE 

KENTUCKY   REVIVAL; 

OR, 

A     SHORT     HISTORY 

OF   THE     LATE   EXTRAORDINARY 

OUTPOURING  OF  THE  SPIRIT  OF  GOD 

IN  THE 

WESTERN  STATES  OF  AMERICA, 

AGREEABLY   TO    SCRIPTURE   PROMISES  AND   PROPHECIES    CONCERNING 
THE    LATTER    DAY  :    WITH   A    BRIEF   ACCOUNT    OF    THE 
ENTRANCE   AND    PROGRESS   OF   WHAT 
THE   WORLD   CALL 

SHAKERISM 

AMONG  THE  SUBJECTS  OF  THE  LATE 

REVIVAL   IN   OHIO  AND   KENTUCKY. 

PRESENTED   TO   THE   TRUE   ZION   TRAVELER  AS   A  MEMORIAL   OF  THE 

WILDERNESS    JOURNEY. 

BY  RICHARD  M'NEMAR. 


"  When  ye  see  a  cloud  rise  out  of  the  west,  straightway  ye  say,  there 
Cometh  a  shower ;  and  so  it  is  :  And  when  ye  feel  the  south  wind  blow, 
ye  say,  there  will  be  heat ;  and  it  cometh  to  pass.  Can  ye  not  discern  the 
signs  of  the  times." — Christ. 


NEV^    YORK: 

REPRINTED    BY    EDWARD    O.   JENKINS, 
No.    114   Nassau    Street. 

1846. 


NEW    THINGS— NEW    NAMES. 

The  word  Shakerism,  I  never  saw,  until  it  appeared  in  a  pamphlet  pub- 
lished in  Kentucky,  a  few  years  ago,  in  defence  of  what  is  called  the 
schismatic  doctrine  (see  Stone's  Reply,  page  66.)  I  suppose  it  is  derived 
from  shaker,  one  who  shakes;  in  the  same  manner  that  schismatism 
springs  from  schismatic,  i.  e.  one  who  divides  or  separates  from  the 
Church. 

This  book  is  written  according  to  the  sense  of  the  people  in  this 
country.  Many  expressions  that  are  well  understood  here  among  the 
people  at  large,  on  account  of  the  many  overturns  in  religion  that  have 
been  here,  may  appear  dark  and  mysterious  to  many  people  in  the  North- 
ern or  Eastern  States. 


TO    THE    READER. 


You  have  been  probably  waiting  for  something  to  be 
published  from  this  quarter,  and  may  be  a  little  surprised 
to  find  the  Kentucky  Revival  our  theme  ;  as  it  is  generally 
known  that  we  profess  to  have  advanced  forward  into  a  much 
greater  work. 

Admitting  this  to  be  the  case,  (which  we  do  not  deny,) 
it  would  nevertheless  be  improper  to  forget,  or  set  light  by, 
any  operation  or  work  of  the  true  spirit,  however  small  it 
might  seem.  But  far  from  esteeming  the  Kentucky  Revi- 
val a  day  of  small  things,  we  believe  it  was  nothing  less 
than  an  introduction  to  that  work  of  final  redemption^  which 
God  had  promised,  in  the  latter  days.  And  to  preserve  the 
memory  of  it  among  those  who  have  wisely  improved  it  as 
such,  the  following  particulars  have  been  collected  for  the 
press  by  one,  whose  spirit  was  in  it  from  the  beginning, 
and  who  is  a  living  witness  of  the  most  important  particu- 
lars which  occurred  in  every  stage  of  it,  until  the  present 
day. 

For  the  better  understanding  of  the  following  history  it 
will  be  proper  to  make  a  few  preliminary  observations. 

It  will  be  granted,  that  God  has  a  particular  order  and 
manner  of  working,  in  which  one  thing  goes  before  another. 
Thus  ;  the  law  and  theprophets  were  until  John,  and  after  that, 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  preached.  It  then  follows  that  all 
men  press  into  it.     The  first  thing  is  the  lawy  which  con- 


/IQ^f^^n 


vinces  of  sin.  2.  The  Prophets  who  minister  the  promise 
and  hope  of  salvation.  3.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  preached  ; 
the  way  and  method  of  salvation  made  manifest  in  word  and 
doctrine  :  and  last  of  all  we  must  press  into  it.  This  is  the 
order  of  God,  and  there  is  no  other.  Nothing  short  of 
pressing  into  the  kingdom  can  save  the  soul.  Conviction 
may  die  away  ;  hope  and  comfort  desert  the  breast ;  and 
the  most  lively  views  of  the  kingdom  be  forgotten.  Hence 
the  necessity  of  so  often  reviving  these  things  among  pro- 
fessors. But  whatever  can  die  away,  is  short  of  the  king- 
dom of  God,  those  who  are  in  the  kingdom  have  everlasting 
life.  Therefore,  it  is  plain  that  the  constituent  parts  of  a 
revival  (which  are  conviction  of  sin,  a  hope  of  deliverance 
from  it,  and  a  manifestation  of  the  heavenly  state)  can  only 
be  preparative  to  entering  into  it.  How  many  revivals  have 
taken  place  in  these  latter  days,  which  for  a  season  would 
raise  the  people,  as  it  were,  to  heaven's  gate  ;  and  after  all, 
leave  them  to  fall  back  into  their  former  lifeless  state.  And 
why  so  .''  Because  they  did  not  take  the  last  step,  and  press 
into  that  state  which  in  word  and  doctrine  was  opened. 


n.  It  will  be  granted,  that  whoever  preaches  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  must  preach  deliverance  from  all  sin  :  For 
where  sin  is,  there  can  be  no  heaven.  Now  when  the 
kingdom  has  been  preached,  and  honest  souls  have  fixed 
their  eye  of  faith  upon  it — longed  with  intense  desire  to  be 
in  it,  and  solicitously  inquired  for  the  footsteps  of  those 
who  have  already  entered — then  has  been  the  time  for  the 
grand  deceiver  to  come  in  with  his  doctrine  of  procrastina- 
tion, and  preach  up  sin  for  term  of  life  ;v  appeal  to  the  dole- 
ful experience  of  past  generations,  and  confirm  the  fatal 
error  by  the  doctrines  and  decrees  of  a  corrupt  church* 
Thus  the  most  promising  revivals  have  been  blasted,  and 
all  that  near  sense  of  heaven's  pure  enjoyments  (common 


under  the  preaching  of  the  kingdom)  extinguished  hy  men 
of  corrupt  minds. 

But  the  Kentucky  Revival^  from  the  beginning,  spoke 
better  things.  Those  who  were  the  genuine  subjects  of  it, 
ever  expressed  the  fullest  confidence  that  it  would  not  ter- 
minate as  revivals  had  generally  done.  It  was  not  a  com- 
mon portion  of  law  conviction  ;  nor  that  faith  in  the  promise, 
which  puts  heaven  at  a  distance ;  nor  merely  preaching 
about  the  kingdom,  that  drew  out  the  multitudes,  to  encamp 
for  days  and  nights  in  the  wilderness,  &c.  It  was  a  near 
prospect  of  the  true  kingdom  of  God,  into  which  many  were 
determined  to  press,  at  the  expense  of  all  that  they  held 
dear  upon  earth.  The  late  revival  was  not  sent  to  re-form 
the  churches.  It  did  not  come  with  a  piece  of  new  cloth 
to  patch  the  old  garment,  to  mend  up  the  old  hope  with 
some  new  experience  ;  but  to  prepare  the  way  for  that 
kingdom  of  God,  in  which  all  things  are  new;  and  whether 
it  be  in  many  or  few,  the  purposes  whereunto  it  was  sent, 
shall  undoubtedly  be  answered. 

III.  That  this  extraordinary  work  sprung  from  some  su- 
pernatural cause  has  been  universally  granted  ;  but  whether 
the  cause  Avas  good  or  evil,  has  been  a  matter  of  much  de- 
bate, even  among  those  who  profess  to  take  the  Scripture 
for  their  only  guide.  Christians  so  called,  of  all  others 
have  been  the  most  divided  in  their  judgment  concerning 
it ;  and  while  some  without  hesitation  have  pronounced  it 
a  glorious  work  of  God  ;  others  who  professed  to*  be  chil- 
dren of  the  same  father,  followers  of  the  same  Saviour,  and 
instructed  by  the  same  word  of  God,  have  with  equal  con- 
fidence pronounced  it  witchcraft,  enthusiasm,  fanaticism,  2LTi(\. 
the  very  energy  of  delusion.  Hence  the  various  predictions 
concerning  it :  Some  affirming  that  it  would  shortly  termi- 
nate, and  leave  the  unhappy  subjects  of  it  in  a  worse  con- 
dition than  ever  ;  others,  that  it  should  cover  the  earthy  as  the 
1* 


6 

waters  cover  the  sea^  and  gather  the  nations  into  one  united 
body. 

IV.  As  the  continuance  of  the  revival  was  so  strongly 
predicted  and  asserted  by  its  subjects,  it  w^ill  be  proper  to 
consider  how  far,  and  upon  what  footing,  those  predictions 
and  assertions  are  tenable.  That  it  should  always  continue 
in  the  same  measure  and  appearance,  without  any  increase, 
was  never  intended  ;  therefore,  if  that  same  power  continues 
to  work,  though  it  should  be  in  a  greater  degree,  and  more 
extraordinary  manner,  and  though  it  should  be  among  a  dif- 
ferent people,  this  will  not  prove  the  above  predictions  false, 
provided  it  be  the  same  power  working  to  the  same  end. 

While  the  extraordinary  power  of  the  revival  was  exter- 
raneous  ;  while  irresistible  beams  of  light  presented  objects 
to  the  view,  which  persons  could  not  avoid  seeing  ;  and 
they  were  rushed  into  exercises  of  body,  by  a  force  of  ope- 
ration which  they  could  not  withstand  ;  the  continuance  of 
the  work  in  this  fashion  was  precarious,  knowing  that  God 
will  not  always  work  upon  man  like  a  machine.  There- 
fore, in  order  to  the  continuance  of  the  work,  a  number  of 
its  subjects  have  found  it  necessary  to  receive  this  extraor- 
dinary power  as  an  in-dwelling  treasure,  to  unite  with  this 
supernatural  agent,  to  dwell  in  him,  and  he  in  them,  and 
become  workers  together  with  him  and  without  force  or 
violence,  believe  and  practice  whatever  he  teaches.  And 
on  this  pivot  the  revival  turns  with  each  individual.  The 
power  oi:  light  of  God,  continues  with  those  who  continue 
in  it,  his  spirit  abides  only  with  those  who  abide  in  him, 
and  do  continually  the  things  that  please  him ;  of  course 
such  as  are  wiUing  that  Christ  and  Belial  should  have  day 
about,  light  and  darkness  alternately  prevail,  must  fall  off 
and  wither  ;  for  no  man  can  serve  two  masters. 


V.  Since  the  spirit  and  power  of  the  revival  has  been 
established  upon  the  above  principles,  and  the  divine  agent 
has  found  a  habitation  with  men,  less  attention  has  been  paid 
to  former  appearances.  This  new  and  strange  doctrine  of 
receiving  Christ,  and  walking  in  him,  has  engrossed  the  gen- 
eral concern  ;  and  while  the  singular  manner  of  worship, 
strange  bodily  exercises,  &c.,  of  those  who  stand  in  it,  have 
furnished  matter  of  speculation  to  the  world  around,  their 
distinguishing  faith  has  been  a  matter  of  serious  inquiry 
with  many  ;  especially  with  those  who  have  begun  to  open 
their  eyes  on  the  hidden  glories  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ, 
and  are  beginning  to  move  Zion-ward.  But  before  the  tem- 
ple of  God  can  be  opened  in  heaven  and  the  ark  of  his  tes- 
tament be  seen,  it  will  be  proper  to  recognize  the  various 
operations  by  which  the  materials  of  the  Tabernacle  were 
prepared  :  According  as  it  is  written — "  Behold  I  send  my 
messenger^  and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  before  me :  and  the 
Lord  whom  ye  seek  shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple. 

R.  M. 

Turtle  Creek,  June  20,  1807. 


THE   KENTUCKY   REVIVAL,   &c. 


CHAPTER    I. 


Or  THE  STATE  OF  ReLIGION  IN  THIS  WESTERN  COUN- 
TRY, BEFORE  THE  KENTUCKY  ReVIVAL  MADE  ITS 
APPEARANCE. 

In  the  first  settlement  of  this  country,  no  small  part 
of  the  inhabitants  were  Christians  by  profession.  Dif- 
ferent denominations  early  began  to  shine  out,  and  em- 
ploy their  zeal  in  organizing  churches,  settling  minis- 
ters, and  propagating  their  respective  doctrines  and 
forms  of  worship  throughout  the  land.  The  greatest 
number  of  professors  might  be  ranked  among  the  Pres- 
byterians,  Baptists  and  Methodists.  And  although 
these  differents  sects  professedly  set  out  to  establish 
and  promote  the  peaceable  religion  of  Jesus,  yet  in 
the  attempt  their  usual  debates  and  controversies  were 
brought  to  life,  which,  for  a  number  of  years,  occa- 
sioned a  hot  spiritual  war.  Notwithstanding  these 
churches  acknowledged  each  other  as  sisters,  descend- 
ed from  the  same  stock,  yet  such  was  the  zeal  of  each 
for  their  distinguishing  tenets  and  forms  of  worship, 
that  they  stood  entirely  separate  as  to  any  communion 
or  fellowship,  and  treated  each  other  with  the  highest 
marks  of  hostility ;  wounding,  captivating  and  bicker- 
ing one  another,  until  their  attention  was  called  off  by 
the  appearance  of  a  common  enemy,  viz.  Deism,  or 
the  religion  of  nature. 


II.  For  many  ages  the  Christian  religion,  so  called, 
had  been  incorporated  with  civil  government,  and  they 
had  mutually  supported  each  other ;  consequently ,  when 
that  revolution  in  politics  began,  which  aimed  at  the 
overthrow  of  monarchy,  and  the  establishment  of  a  re- 
publican government,  that  religion  was  particularly  in- 
volved. 

Kings,  emperors  and  popes  had  claimed  the  Bible  as 
^Uhe  only  rule  to  direct  them,"  in  their  unnatural 
wars,  dire  oppressions,  bloody  persecutions,  and  un- 
paralleled cruelties  toward  mankind  ;  yea,  every  class 
of  tyrants,  both  civil  and  ecclesiastical,  had  made  their 
common  appeal  to  the  Bible  for  their  authority  to  lord 
it  over  their  fellow-creatures  ;  consequently,  when  the 
eye  of  reason  began  to  open  upon  the  rights  of  man j 
the  tyrant's  Canon  must  appear  in  very  pernicious 
colors — no  book  in  the  universe  so  mischievous  and 
hateful.  And  under  this  view,  the  Bible  was  attacked 
by  the  political  reformers  of  the  last  century,  and  the 
dictates  of  a  lawless  nature  cried  up,  in  opposition  to 
its  sacred  requirements. 

III.  I  do  not  suppose,  with  many,  that  Deists  hav^e 
had  no  cause  for  rejecting  the  Scriptures;  the  contrary 
is  certainly  true.  Not  that  the  cause  is  in  the  Scrip- 
tures, but  in  those  who  profess  to  take  them  for  their 
rule  of  life.  It  is  not  the  Scriptures  that  lie  open  to 
the  view  of  the  Deist,  but  those  churches  and  people 
who  profess  to  be  governed  and  influenced  by  them. 
And  what  have  those  churches  exhibited  which  for 
ages  past  have  claimed  the  Biblefor  their  foundation? 
Little  else  but  division,  animosity  and  confusion.  What 
have  been  the  lives  and  manners  of  professors  in  gene- 
ral ?  Do  they  not  stand  below  the  modern  Deist,  even  in 
point  of  Bible  virtue?  Now,  if  Christians,  so  called, 
are  chargeable  with  so  great  wickedness,  in  the  eye  of 
common  sense  and  reason,  and  at  the  same  time  tes- 
tify that  the  Bible  is  their  ''  only  rule,"  what  judg- 
ment can  the  Deist  form  of  that  book  7     The  tree  is 


10 

known  by  its  fruit ;  and  if  professing"  Christians  ac- 
knowledge themselves  to  be  wicked,  if  they  judge  and 
prove  one  another  to  be  wicked,  and  claim  the  Bible 
as  their  root  and  foundation,  it  is  reasonable  for  the 
Deist  to  judge  that  to  be  a  wicked  book. 

IV.  When  Deism  first  began  to  overspread  Ken- 
tucky, and  the  truth  of  the  Bible  to  be  called  in  ques- 
tion, the  cry  was  against  its  pernicious  fruits,  and  the 
infinite  mischief  that  had  been  done  in  the  world,  by 
those  who  supported  its  doctrines.  And  while  the 
giddy  and  thoughtless  multitude  took  it  for  granted 
that  divine  revelation  was  all  a  cheat,  and  nature's 
flowery  path  the  only  way  to  happiness,  and  were 
crowding  into  it  by  hundreds ;  many  of  a  more  serious 
cast  were  unwilling  to  renounce  their  hope  of  salvation 
through  Christ,  yet  dare  not  vindicate  the  lives  of 
those  professing  Christians,  on  whose  account  the  Bi- 
ble was  condemned.  This  made  it  necessary  to  ex- 
amine the  Scriptures  separate,  and  judge  of  them  ac- 
cording to  their  internal  evidence  ;  and  the  more  they 
were  examined,  the  greater  the  contrast  appeared  be- 
tween their  sacred  doctrines  and  the  lives  of  the  pro- 
fessors. Hence,  the  only  ground  upon  which  the  truth 
of  the  Scriptures  could  be  maintained  was  to  take  them 
according  to  their  own  proper  sense,  and  prove  that 
they  nowhere  countenanced  those  evils  that  abounded 
in  the  churches  ;  but  the  contrary. 

V.  The  New  Testament  appeared  to  be  the  proper 
fruit  and  product  of  the  Church  of  Christ,  and  mani- 
fested by  its  purity  that  it  was  a  pure  church  out  of 
which  it  sprung.  And  taking  the  Church  as  the  tree, 
and  the  Scripture  as  the  fruit,  both  seemed  to  be  good. 
But  the  fruit,  which  had  been  for  many  generations 
produced  by  those  churches  which  bore  the  same  name, 
was  very  different.  The  writings  of  these  churches, 
instead  of  uniting  the  people  in  righteousness  and 
peace,  had  kindled  up  endless  controversies  and  angry 


11 

disputes ;  and  from  the  manifest  difference  in  the 
fruits,  it  appeared  that  modern  professors  could  not  be 
the  same  kind  of  people  with  those  that  had  formerly 
been  called  Christian.  According  to  the  Scriptures, 
Christians  were  united,  all  of  one  heart  and  one  soul ; 
they  laid  aside  all  anger,  wrath,  clamor,  envy,  and 
evil  speaking ;  were  kindly  affectioned  one  towards 
another,  and  loved  one  another,  with  a  pure  heart,  fer- 
vently. But  daily  observations  proved  that  those  who 
now  assumed  the  same  name,  were  full  of  envy  and 
strife,  railing  and  backbiting,  hateful  and  hating  one 
another  ;  and  in  every  sense  different  from  those  holy 
men  of  God  who  were  formerly  called  by  the  name  of 
Christ. 

VI.  This  distinction  was  observed  not  only  in  com- 
mon professors,  but  even  in  the  ministers.  While  the 
New  Testament  represented  the  ministers  of  Christ  as 
meek,  humble,  honest  men,  examples  to  the  flock  in 
charity,  faith  and  purity;  those  who  were  called  the 
ministers  of  Christ  in  the  present  day,  appeared  to  be 
proud,  aspiring,  contentious  men,  striving  who  should 
be  the  greatest,  overlooking  common  people  as  an  in- 
ferior rank  of  beings,  deeply  immersed  in  the  cares  of 
the  world,  eager  after  the  salaries,  or  posts  of  profit  in 
civil  government,  and  some  even  holding  their  fellow- 
creatures  in  perpetual  slavery,  or  selling  them  for 
money.  These  appeared  not  to  be  the  same  kind  of 
men  as  those  whom  Christ  ordained,  nor  did  it  appear 
that  they  had  the  same  Holy  Ghost  dwelling  in  them, 
or  could  be  as  safely  believed  or  followed  as  the  minis- 
ters who  wrote  the  Scriptures.  And  some  of  themselves 
admitted  the  conviction  that  they  were  far  sunk  from 
the  power  and  purity  of  the  apostles  of  Christ,  and  were 
preaching  about  a  salvation  which  they  had  not  in  pos- 
session. 

Another  important  train  of  ideas  arose  from  search- 
ing the  Scriptures.  There  was  a  falling  away  spoken 
of  by  Christ  and  his  Apostles,  and  an  Antichrist  to  rise 


12- 

which  appeared  according  to  history,  to  have  taken 
place  a  great  while  ago.  And  it  appeared  by  many 
promises,  that  after  the  reign  of  this  Antichrist  was 
out,  there  would  be  glorious  times  upon  earth,  and 
Christ  would  appear  again,  and  set  up  his  kingdom, 
and  gather  the  nations  into  it.  Here  many  inquiries 
were  raised,  concerning  the  reign  of  this  Antichrist, 
when  it  began  and  when  it  would  end,  and  when 
Christ  w^ould  appear  and  set  up  his  true  kingdom. 
And  many  began  to  apprehend,  that  this  period  was 
not  far  off;  and  concluded  it  was  time  to  leave  off 
their  vain  disputes,  and  unite  in  prayer,  for  Christ  to 
come  and  pour  out  his  spirit,  gather  his  people  into 
one,  make  an  end  of  sin,  and  fill  the  earth  with  his 
glory. 

VII.  For  several  years  there  were  praying  societies 
kept  up  in  different  parts,  composed  of  persons  who 
were  distinguished  in  some  things  from  all  the  de- 
nominations, though  blended  with  them  in  their  out- 
ward communion.  These  professed  to  be  in  search 
of  the  truth  and  power  of  religion,  and  ready  to  em- 
brace it  whenever  it  would  appear,  but  did  not  be- 
lieve it  was  among  any  of  the  denominations,  in  pu- 
rity. They  believed  there  were  errors  in  all  their 
systems  of  doctrine,  which  kept  them  dead  and  life- 
less, without  the  Spirit  of  God.  The  social  exercises 
which  sprung  from  this  faith,  were  reading  the  Scrip- 
tures without  any  comment,  praying  for  the  divine 
Spirit  to  open  them — confessing  and  lamenting  the 
deplorable  state  of  mankind  in  general,  and  that  of 
cold,  lifeless,  and  corrupt  professors  of  Christianity  in 
particular  ;  and  pleading  for  the  accomplishment  of 
those  blessed  promises  which  respected  the  coming  of 
Christ  and  the  glory  of  the  latter  days.  Examining 
themselves  by  the  evidences  and  marks  of  grace  laid 
down  in  the  Scriptures — lamenting  a  lack  of  those 
evidences — confessing  their  short-comings  in  duty, 
and   resolving  to  correct  past  errors,   and  be  more 


13 

watchful  over  a  deceitful  and  desperately  wicked 
heart — opening  their  trials  to  one  another,  and  en- 
couraging each  other  to  persevere  until  they  found 
Christ  in  very  deed. 

When  any  one  prays  for  a  thing,  it  is  a  sure  and  cer- 
tain evidence  that  he  has  not  got  that  thing  in  pos- 
session ;  and  hence  the  united  prayers  of  hundreds  of 
the  warmest  professors,  entreating  Christ  to  come  and 
visit  the  churches^  loudly  proclaimed  that  he  was 
not  already  there.  While  he  was  contemplated  at  a 
distance  through  the  promise,  the  following  lines  well 
suited  the  day,  and  proved  his  absence  from  the  soul  : 

"  When  I  turn  my  eyes  within,  all  is  dark,  and  vain,  and  wild ; 
Full  of  unbelief  and  sin — can  1  deem  myself  a  child  ?" 

The  following  extracts  of  letters  from  persons  of  no 
small  note  in  the  churches,  will  show  more  particularly 
the  state  of  religion  at  that  period  :  , 

*' March  22,  1798. 

^'  My  Dear  Friend  : — I  have  this  winter  past 
preached  with  difficulty,  my  heart  but  little  engaged. 
I  know  that  I  am  not  as  I  ought  to  be,  yet  cannot  be 
affected  with  my  sad  case.  W.  R." 

«'  Lexington,  September  5, 1796. 

"Dear  Sir: — Yesterday  I  received  your  kind  letter, 
and  I  now  undertake  to  answer  it.  The  dead  state  of 
religion  is  truly  discouraging  here,  as  well  as  else- 
where. It  appears  a  wonder  of  mercy  that  God  is  so 
kind  to  this  Sardis,  as  to  afford  her  the  means  of  grace  ; 
without  this  she  would  certainly  run  into  total  infidel- 
ity. W'hen  I  look  into  my  w^retched  heart,  and  con- 
sider how  much  I  have  dishonored  God  by  a  dead  and 
careless  life,  I  have  reason  to  cover  my  head  in  the 
dust. 

"  If  some  are  spotted  with  sin,  I  am  spot  all  over. 

J.  T." 
2 


14 

'^  Dear  Brother — It  is  not  likely  I  can  say  anything 
to  entertain  or  refresh  you.  I  sometimes  think  I  would 
be  willing-  to  travel  with  you  to  heaven  ;  but  I  feel 
very  unlike  an  inhabitant  of  that  place.  I  would  be 
glad  to  be  at  the  truth,  and  the  substance. 

*'  But  I  commonly  feel  so  much  more  like  a  devil 
than  a  Christian,  that  it  makes  me  often  forebode  the 
displeasure  of  God,  the  Holy  and  the  Just.  I  sometimes 
think  I  am  coming  towards  the  birth,  but  can  seldom 
think  I  am  born.  Oh,  how  long!  how  long!  And 
Avhat  am  I?  I  would  strip  off  everything  but  Christ 
and  his  Holy  Spirit,  to  enter  the  narrow  gate. 

"  I  can  tell  you  but  little  about  my  poor  congrega- 
tions. I  see  but  little  prospect  of  encouragement.  I 
dare  not  say  none. 

"  I  sometimes  hope  to  see  Jesus  King  in  Zion. 

J.  D." 

Vni.  Now  let  any  one  judge  from  the  foregoing 
evidences,  what  kind  of  a  work  was  necessary  to  take 
place  among  such  a  people^  in  order  to  their  recovery; 
a  people  confessedly  vain^  and  dark,  and  wild;  full 
of  unbelief  and  sin — dead  and  careless — spot  all  over  y 
and  more  like  devils  than  Christians, 

The  generality,  however,  unaffected  with  their  sad 
case,  were  still  going  on,  crying  out  against  infidelity, 
lampooning  the  Deist,  treating  his  cavils  with  con- 
tempt, and  laboring  each  one  to  augment  his  party  ; 
w^hile  a  distressed  few  were  watching,  like  the  guards 
of  the  night,  and  ready  to  meet  the  first  dawn  of  the 
approaching  day. 

A  sense  of  the  total  depravity  of  human  nature,  and 
the  entire  separation  of  the  soul  from  God,  is  the  first 
thing  necessary  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  entrance  of 
spiritual  life.  Therefore,  such  as  honestly  confessed 
their  lost  and  deplorable  state,  and  intensely  groaned 
for  deliverance  from  it,  were  not  in  so  dangerous  a 
condition,  as  those  who  made  a  high-sounding  profes- 
sion find  gloried  in  some  plan  of  salvation,  that  still 


15 

left  them  in  bondage  to  conuption.  But  a  conviction 
of  being  lost  never  saved  any  one;  though  many 
have  made  conviction  a  great  evidence  of  their  elec- 
tion; and  vainly  rested  upon  that  light,  which  searches 
out  the  evil  and  wickedness  of  the  heart,  without  go- 
ing any  further.  But  such  as  were  honest  before  God 
could  not  stop  here ;  they  must  be  at  the  truth  and 
the  substance.  Therefore,  it  was  necessary  that  the 
channel,  through  which  the  quickening  power  of  God 
has  access  to  the  soul,  should  be  opened  ;  namely,  the 
everlasting  covenant  of  redemption.  And  as  this  is 
the  only  channel  through  which  souls  can  receive  any 
special  favor  from  God,  it  will  be  proper  here  to  make 
a  few  observations  Cjpncerning  it. 

IX.  When  one  makes  a  promise  to  another,  and 
that  promise  is  accepted ;  this  constitutes  a  covenant, 
or  agreement.  Thus  the  promise  of  eternal  life,  was 
made  to  Christ,  before  the  foundation  of  the  world  ; 
and  accepted  by  him  in  behalf  of  all  his  seed.  In  this 
promise,  or  covenant  of  life,  the  father  and  son  Avere 
perfectly  united ;  and  as  both  are  everlasting  and  un- 
changeable, it  must  be  an  everlasting  and  unchangea- 
ble covenant,  which  cannot  be  broken.  The  covenant 
itself  is  absolute,  unconditional  and  inviolable.  But 
in  order  to  its  being  fulfilled,  and  finally  settled,  there 
is  a  work  given  the  Son  to  do,  which,  in  the  nature  of 
things,  is  necessary  to  be  done  ;  and  that  is,  to  over- 
come death,  and  him  that  has  the  power  of  it.  And 
until  this  is  actually  done,  the  heir  is  in  bondage.  It 
is  true,  eternal  life  is  secured,  in  the  covenant,  to  all 
the  seed  ;  though  they  be  not  in  actual  possession  of 
it.  But  while  death  reigns,  the  blessings  of  the  cove- 
nant can  only  be  administered  by  way  of  promise  ; 
and  the  party  to  whom  the  promise  shall  be  fulfilled, 
designated  in  the  Father's  revealed  will. 

This  everlasting  covenant  has  ever  been  a  mys'^rv 
to  man  in  his  fallen  state  ;  nor  could  anything  certain 
be  ever  known  respecting  it  but  by  a  living  revelation 


16 

from  God — an  express  manifestation  of  the  divine  Avill, 
attested  by  living  witnesses.  And  where  this  orderly 
administration  has  been  wanting,  the  more  that  has 
been  said  about  it,  the  greater  confusion  and  contro- 
versy lias  been  stirred  up. 

It  is  true,  the  Scriptures  contain  a  copy  of  the  divine 
will,  concerning  tlie  redemption  of  souls ;  all  the 
promises  of  God  are  there  recorded.  But  of  what  use 
is  a  bare  copy  of  a  will,  without  witnesses. 

These  great  and  precious  promises  could  effect 
nothing  real ;  the  inheritance  itself  was  not  in  them  ; 
and  although  thousands  have  undertaken  to  adminis- 
ter upon  the  authority  of  the  Scripture,  as  though  it 
was  the  very  original  itself,  sealed  and  confirmed  by 
unalterable  seals ;  and  have  pretended  to  be  the  true 
witnesses  of  God  ;  yet  their  folly  is  made  manifest  to 
all  men ;  for  they  have  not  agreed  in  their  witness  ; 
but  have  filled  the  world  with  endless  debates,  con- 
cerning the  sense  and  meaning  of  what  they  call  the 
will.  Now  if  the  witnesses  were  all  divided,  and  could 
not  even  agree  in  their  testimony,  who  were  the  prop- 
er heirs,  how  could  anything  ever  be  decided  in  such 
a  court? 

But  however  great  the  contention  has  been  about 
the  copy,  and  however  much  these  presumers  have 
altered,  amended,  expounded  and  paraphrased  upon 
it,  yet  the  original  has  remained  unsullied.  God  is 
of  one  mind ;  and  his  promises  in  Christ  are  Yea  and 
Amen. 

When  God  revealed  his  covenant  to  Abram,  it  was 
only  by  promise.  ''  In  thee  and  in  thy  seed^  shall  all 
the  nations  of  the  earth  he  blessed.'^'  Observe,  the 
blessing  promised  was  not  to  Ahram  and  his  seed,  but 
to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth.  It  was  not,  "  thou  and 
thy  seed  shall  be  blessed"  with  irresistible  grace,  but 
"  in  thee  and  in  thy  seed  [which  is  Christ]  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth  shall  be  blessed."  All  were  under 
the  curse,  and  stood  in  equal  need  of  the  blessing. 
Sin  and  death  had  their  dominions  equally  over  all. 


17 

But  a  better  dominion  was  promised  ;  a  kingdom  of 
righteousness,  a  dominion  of  life,  in  which  all  the 
nations  of  the  earth  should  he  blessed. 

Although  death  reigned  from  Adam  to  Moses,  and 
from  Moses  to  Christ,  yet  the  promise  of  God  to 
Abram  was  sure  to  all  the  seed:  death  could  not  de- 
stroy it ;  the  law  could  not  supplant  it,  or  make  it 
void ;  the  threatenings  and  curses  from  Mount  Sinai 
were  not  against  the  promise^  nor  the  seed  to  whom 
the  promise  was  made.  The  promise  was  established 
and  confirmed  by  unalterable  seals,  illustrated  by 
types  and  figures,  and  attested  by  a  long  succes- 
sion of  living  prophets,  until  Christ,  the  proper  heir, 
made  his  appearance  ;  finished  the  work  that  was 
given  him  to  do ;  received  the  substance  that  was 
promised  by  the  Father ;  and  took  possession  of  the 
inheritance.  Until  this  took  place,  souls  were  in 
bondage  under  the  rudiments  of  the  world  ;  they 
could  find  no  resurrection  into  eternal  life,  until  the 
Son  of  God,  in  the  fulness  of  lime,  was  made  of  a 
woman;  made  flesh;  placed  under  the  same  rudi- 
ments by  which  they  were  held  in  bondage ;  and 
from  thence  ascended,  step  by  step,  until  he  entered 
the  promised  possession.  Then,  and  not  till  then, 
the  way  was  open  for  the  substance  to  be  ministered ; 
then  the  first-born  could  give  gifts  unto  his  brethren — 
substantial,  real  gifts.  What  he  received  of  the 
Father,  he  gave  to  those  who  were  joint  heirs  with 
him  to  the  promised  possession  ;  and  sent  them  into 
the  world,  as  he  had  been  sent,  to  minister  to  others 
as  he  ministered  to  them.  Moreover,  he  did  not  send 
them  to  some  particular  persons,  but  to  every  creature 
that  was  under  heaven ;  and  commissioned  them  to 
proclaim  liberty  to  the  captives^  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound — one  as  much  as  an- 
other. No  nation  or  individual  was  excluded,  but 
the  promise  was  to  all,  and  upon  all ;  and  should 
finally  be  fulfilled  to  all  them  that  believe  and  obey. 

2* 


18 

X.  While  the  everlasting  covenant  Avas  thus  minis- 
tered in  truth,  by  the  apostles  and  true  witnesses  of 
Christ,  it  was  confirmed  by  the  most  convincing" 
signs,  wonders,  miracles,  and  gifts  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
They  healed  the  sick,  raised  the  dead,  cast  out  malig- 
nant spirits,  spake  with  unknown  tongues,  held  con- 
verse with  angels  and  departed  spirits,  saw  visions, 
fell  into  trances,  had  gifts  of  prophesying,  &c.  &c. 
These,  and  such  like,  were  seals  to  their  ministry. 
But  above  all,  the  salutary  change  produced  iii  the 
lives  and  manners  of  those  who  believed,  confirmed 
the  doctrine  to  be  of  God  ;  and  served  as  a  test  to 
those  who  should  come  after,  whereby  to  distinguish 
the  true  covenant  of  God  from  all  the  counterfeit 
doctrines  of  men.  When  the  true  administration  of 
the  covenant  ceased,  the  signs  and  seals  of  confirma- 
tion ceased  with  it.  God  would  not  affix  his  seal  to 
the  canons,  decrees  and  covenants  of  wicked  men, 
who  rose  up  to  supplant  the  true  work  of  redemption. 
And  therefore,  for  many  ages,  what  has  been  called 
the  Christian  doctrine  has  been  void  of  authority  ; 
except  what  arises  from  superstition,  vain  philosophy, 
the  power  of  human  eloquence,  or  the  civil  sword. 
But  when  God,  in  infinite  kindness,  began  to  revive 
the  everlasting  truth  in  these  latter  days,  the  living 
seals  of  the  covenant  were  annexed — such  seals  and 
evidences  of  a  supernatural  and  divine  power,  as 
have  excited  as  great  astonishment  in  the  minds  of 
mankind  as  those  of  antiquity. 


CHAPTER   II. 


Or  THE  FIRST  APPEARANCES  OF  THE  EXTRAORDINARY 
WORK,  IN  DIFFERENT  PARTS  OF  KENTUCKY,  IN  1800 
AND    1801. 

The  first  extraordinary  appearances  of  the  power  of 
God,  in  the  late  revival,  began  about  the  close  of  the 
last  century,  in  Logan  and  Christian  counties,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Gasper  and  Red  rivers.  And  in  the 
spring  of  1801  the  same  extraordinary  work  broke  out 
in  Madison  county,  upper  part  of  Kentucky;  of  which 
I  was  an  eyewitness  ;  and  can,  therefore,  with  greater 
confidence  testify  what  I  have  heard,  seen  and  felt. 

It  first  began  in  individuals,  who  had  been  under 
deep  convictions  of  sin,  and  great  trouble  about  their 
souls ;  and  had  fasted  and  prayed,  and  diligently 
searched  the  Scriptures  ;  and  had  undergone  distresses 
of  mind  inexpressibly  sore,  until  they  had  obtained  a 
comfortable  hope  of  salvation.  And  from  seeing  and 
feeling  the  love  of  Christ,  and  his  willingness  to  save 
all  that  would  forsake  their  sins,  and  turn  to  God 
through  him  ;  and  feeling  how  freely  his  love  and 
goodness  flowed  to  them  ;  it  kindled  their  love  to  other 
souls  that  were  lost  in  their  sins,  and  an  ardent  desire 
that  they  might  come  and  partake  of  that  spiritual 
light,  life,  and  comfort,  v/hich  appeared  infinite  in  its 
nature,  and  free  to  all.  And  under  such  an  overpow- 
ering weight  of  the  divine  goodness  as  tongue  could 
not  express,  they  were  constrained  to  cry  out,  with 
tears  and  trembling,  and  testify  a  full  and  free  salva- 
tion in  Christ  for  all  that  would  come  ;  and  to  warn 
their  fellow-creatures  of  the  danger  of  continuing  in 


20 

sin,  and  entreating  them  in  the  most  tender  and  affec- 
tionate manner,  to  turn  from  it,  and  seek  the  Lord,  in 
sure  and  certain  hope  that  he  would  be  found. 
-  Under  such  exhortations  the  people  began  to  be  af- 
fected in  a  very  strange  manner.  At  first  they  were 
taken  with  an  inward  throbbing  of  heart ;  then  with 
weeping  and  trembling  ;  from  that  to  crying  out,  in 
apparent  agony  of  soul ;  falling  down  and  swooning 
away,  till  every  appearance  of  animal  life  was  sus- 
pended, and  the  person  appeared  to  be  in  a  trance. 
From  this  state  they  would  recover  under  different 
sensations,  which  will  be  more  particularly  noticed 
hereafter. 

The  following  extract  of  a  letter,  dated  Caneridge, 
January  30,  1801,  gives  a  striking  account  of  the 
work,  as  it  first  appeared  in  the  lower  parts  of  Ken- 
tucky, and  Cumberland. 

"  The  work  is  still  increasing  in  Cumberland ;  it 
has  overspread  the  whole  country.  It  is  in  Nashville, 
Barren,  Muddy,  Gasper,  Redbanks,  Knoxville,  &c. 

^'  J.  M.  C.  has  been  there  two  months  ;  he  says  it 
exceeds  any  he  ever  saw  or  heard  of.  Children  and 
all  seem  to  be  engaged  ;  but  children  are  the  most 
active  in  the  work.  When  they  speak,  it  appears 
that  the  Lord  sends  his  Spirit,  to  accompany  it  with 
power  to  the  hearts  of  sinners.  They  all  seem  to  be 
wrought  in-an  extraordinary  way ;  lie  as  though  they 
were  dead  for  some  time,  without  pulse  or  breath  ; 
some  longer,  some  shorter  time.  Some  rise  with  joy 
and  triumph ;  others  crying  for  mercy.  As  soon  as 
they  get  comfort,  they  cry  to  sinners,  exhorting  day 
and  night  to  turn  to  the  Lord.  P.  H." 

It  is  worthy  of  notice,  that  a  work  by  which  God 
intended  to  bring  down  the  pride  and  loftiness  of  man, 
should  begin  in  small  children.  By  this  it  was  mani- 
fest who  was  the  farthest  lost  from  God,  and  what 
course  must  be  taken  in  order  to  return. 


21 

At  a  sacrament,  near  Flemingsbnrgh,  the  last  Sab- 
bath in  April,  the  power  of  God  was  very  visible 
among  the  people  through  the  whole  of  the  occasion ; 
under  which  there  was  much  weeping,  trembling, 
and  convulsion  of  soul  :  But  what  was  the  most  sol- 
emn and  striking,  was  the  case  of  two  httle  girls,  who, 
in  the  time  of  meeting,  cried  out  in  great  distress. 
They  both  continued  for  some  time  praying  and  cry- 
ing for  mercy,  till  one  of  them  received  a  comfortable 
hope,  and  then  turning  to  the  other,  cried  out :  ''  Oh  ! 
you  little  sinner,  come  to  Christ!  take  hold  of  his 
promise  !  trust  in  him  !  he  is  able  to  save  to  the  utter- 
most !  Oh !  I  have  found  peace  to  my  soul !  Oh ! 
the  precious  Saviour!  come  just  as  you  are !  he  will 
take  away  the  stony  heart  and  give  you  a  heart  of 
flesh  !  you  can't  make  yourself  any  better — just  give 
up  your  heart  to  Christ  now  !— You  are  not  a  greater 
sinner  than  me  !  You  need  not  wait  another  mo- 
ment!" Thus  she  continued  exhorting,  until  her 
little  companion  received  a  ray  from  heaven  that  pro- 
duced a  sudden  and  sensible  change ;  then  rising  with 
her  in  her  arms,  she  cried  out  m  a  most  affecting 
manner  :  "Oh,  here  is  another  star  of  light !"  These 
children  were  perhaps  nine  or  ten  years  old.  The 
Sabbath  following,  about  twenty  persons  were  struck 
in  the  congregation  of  Cabin  Creek,  Mason  County. 
Among  the  first  who  cried  out,  in  distress,  was  a  girl 
about  twelve  years  old.  Their  convictions  of  their 
lost  state  (from  a  sudden  opening  of  that  pure  holiness, 
to  which  sin  stands  directly  opposed)  were  quick  as 
the  lightning's  flash,  and  came  with  such  weight,  that 
had  they  not,  in  some  way  or  other,  opened  their 
case,  they  must  have  sunk  into  the  horrors  of  despair. 
It  was  dire  necessity  which  at  first  obliged  them  to 
expose  themselves  to  public  view  as  objects  of  pity ; 
for  everything  of  the  kind  was  looked  upon  by  the 
generality,  even  of  professors,  as  wild  enthusiasm,  or 
the  fruits  of  a  disordered  brain. 

There  were,  however,  a  few  who  understood  the 


22 

disorder,  and  were  ready  to  fly  to  their  relief,  and  pro- 
claim liberty  to  the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  were  bound. 

And  here  a  new  scene  was  opened.  While  some 
trembled  like  one  in  a  fit  of  the  ague,  wept,  or  cried 
out,  lamenting  their  distance  from  God,  and  exposed- 
ness  to  his  wrath,  others  were  employed  in  praying 
with  them,  encouraging  them  to  believe  on  the  Son  of 
God,  to  venture  upon  his  promise,  give  up  their  wicked, 
rebellious  heart,  just  as  it  was,  for  God  to  take  it  away, 
and  give  them  a  heart  of  flesh  ;  singing  hymns,  and 
giving  thanks  to  God  for  the  display  of  his  power, 
without  any  regard  to  former  rules  of  order.  At  this 
some  were  offended,  and  withdrew  from  the  assembly, 
determined  to  oppose  it  as  a  work  of  the  wicked  one. 
But  all  their  objections  only  tended  to  open  the  w^ay 
for  the  true  nature  and  spirit  of  the  work  to  shine  out, 
and  encourage  the  subjects  of  it  to  set  out  with  warmer 
zeal  to  promote  it.  Accordingly,  a  meeting  was  ap- 
/  pointed  a  few  evenings  after,  to  which  a  crowd  of 
\ awakened  souls  flocked,  and  spent  the  whole  night  in 
singing  hymns,  praying,  and  exhorting  one  another, 
&c.  At  this  meeting  one  man  was  struck  down,  and 
lay  for  about  an  hour  in  the  situation  above  mentioned. 
This  put  the  matter  beyond  dispute,  that  the  w^ork  was 
supernatural ;  and  the  outcry  which  it  raised  against 
sin,  confirmed  a  number  in  the  belief  that  it  was  from 
above. 

From  small  beginnings  it  gradually  spread.  The 
news  of  these  strange  operations  flew  abroad,  and  at- 
tracted many  to  come  and  see,  who  were  convinced, 
not  only  from  seeing  and  hearing,  but  feeling ;  and 
carried  home  the  testimony  that  it  was  the  living  work 
of  God.  This  stirred  up  others,  and  brought  out  still 
greater  multitudes.  And  these  strange  exercises  still 
increasing,  and  having  no  respect  to  any  stated  hours 
of  worship,  it  was  found  expedient  to  encamp  on  the 
ground,  and  continue  the  meeting  day  and  night.  To 
these  encampments  the  people  flocked,  in  hundreds  and 


23 

thousands ;  on  foot,  on  horseback,  and  in  wagons  and 
other  carriages. 

At  first  appearance  those  meetings  exhibited  nothing 
to  the  spectator  but  a  scene  of  confusion,  that  could 
scarce  be  put  into  human  language.  They  were  gene- 
rally opened  with  a  sermon,  near  the  close  of  which 
there  would  be  an  unusual  outcry  ;  some  bursting  forth 
into  loud  ejaculations  of  prayer,  or  thanksgiving,  for 
the  truth  ;  others  breaking  out  in  emphatical  sentences 
of  exhortation ;  others  flying  to  their  careless  friends 
with  tears  of  compassion,  beseeching  them  to  turn  to 
the  Lord  ;  some  struck  with  terror,  and  hastening 
through  the  crowd  to  make  their  escape,  or  pulling 
away  their  relations ;  others  trembling,  weeping,  cry- 
ing out  for  the  Lord  Jesus  to  have  mercy  upon  them, 
fainting  and  swooning  away,  till  every  appearance  of 
life  was  gone,  and  the  extremities  of  the  body  assumed 
the  coldness  of  a  dead  corpse  ;  others  surrounding  them 
with  melodious  songs,  or  fervent  prayers  for  their  happy 
resurrection  in  the  love  of  Christ ;  others  collecting 
into  circles  around  this  variegated  scene,  contending 
with  arguments  for  and  against.  And  under  such  ap- 
pearances the  work  would  continue  for  several  days 
and  nights  together. 

I  shall  now  mention  particularly  some  of  the  first 
meetings  of  this  kind,  witli  a  few  concomitant  circum- 
stances, from  which  the  work  took  a  general  spread, 
in  the  year  1801 : 

The  first  was  held  at  Cabin  Creek.  It  began  on 
the  22d  of  May,  and  continued  four  days  and  three 
nights.  The  scene  was  awful  beyond  description ; 
the  falling,  crying  out,  praying,  exhorting,  singing, 
shouting,  &c.,  exhibited  such  new,  and  striking  evi- 
dences of  a  supernatural  power,  that  few,  if  any,  could 
escape  without  being  affected.  Such  as  tried  to  run 
from  it,  were  frequently  struck  on  the  way,  or  im- 
pelled, by  some  alarming  signal  to  return;  and  so 
powerful  was  the  evidence  on  all  sides,  that  no  place 
was  found  for  the  obstinate  sinner  to  shelter  himself. 


24 

but  under  the  protection  of  prejudiced  and  bigoted 
professors.  No  circumstance  at  this  meeting,  appeared 
tnore  striking,  than  the  great  numbers  that  fell  on  the 
(third  night :  and  to  prevent  their  being  trodden  under 
foot  by  the  multitude,  they  were  collected  together, 
and  laid  out  in  order,  on  two  squares  of  the  meeting- 

ouse ;  which,  like  so  many  dead  corpses,  covered  a 
considerable  part  of  the  floor.  There  were  persons  at 
this  meeting  from  Caneridge,  Concord,  Eagle-Creek, 
and  other  neighboring  congregations,  who  partook  of 
the  spirit  of  the  work,  which  was  a  particular  means 
of  its  spreading. 

The  next  general  camp-meeting,  was  held  at  Con- 
cord, in  the  county  of  Bourbon,  about  the  last  of  May, 
or  beginning  of  June.  The  number  of  people  was 
supposed  to  be  about  4,000,  who  attended  on  this  oc- 
casion. There  were  present  seven  Presbyterian  min- 
isters ;  four  of  whom  were  opposed  to  the  work,  and 
spoke  against  it  until  the  fourth  day  about  noon ;  the 
evidence  then  became  so  powerful,  that  they  all  pro- 
fessed to  be  convinced,  that  it  was  the  work  of  God  ; 
and  one  of  them  addressed  the  assembly  with  tears, 
acknowledging,  that  notwithstanding  they  had  long 
been  praying  to  the  Lord,  to  pour  out  his  spirit,  yet 
when  it  came,  they  did  not  know  it ;  but  wickedly 
opposed  the  answer  of  their  own  prayers.  On  this  oc- 
casion, no  sex  or  color,  class  or  description,  were  ex- 
empted from  the  pervading  influence  of  the  Spirit ; 
even  from  the  age  of  eight  months,  to  sixty  years, 
there  were  evident  subjects  of  this  marvelous  opera- 
tion. 

The  meeting  continued  Ave  days,  and  four  nights  ; 
and  after  thepeoplegenerally  scattered  from  the  groimd, 
numbers  convened  in  different  places,  and  continued 
the  exercise  much  longer.  And  even  where  they 
were  not  collected  together,  these  wonderful  operations 
continued  among  every  class  of  people,  and  in  every 
situation  ;  in  their  houses  and  fields,  and  in  their  daily 

employments,  falling  down   and   crying  out,  under 


25 

conviction,  or  singing  and  shouting  with  unspeakable 
joy,  were  so  common,  that  the  whole  country  round 
about,  seemed  to  be  leavened  with  the  spirit  of  the 
work. 

The  next  camp-meeting  was  at  Eagle  Creek,  Adams 
county,  Ohio.  It  began  June  5,  and  continued  four 
days  and  three  nights.  The  number  of  people  there 
was  not  so  great,  as  the  country  was  new  ;  but  the 
work  was  equally  powerful,  according  to  the  number. 
At  this  meeting,  the  principal  leading  characters  in 
that  place,  fully  embraced  the  spirit  of  the  work,  which 
laid  a  permanent  foundation,  for  its  continuance  and 
spread,  in  that  quarter. 

The  next  general  meeting  was  at  Pleasant  Point, 
Kentucky;  which  equaled,  if  not  surpassed,  any  that 
had  been  before.  Here,  the  Christian  minister,  (so 
called,)  the  common  professor,  the  professed  deist,  and 
debauchee,  were  forced  to  take  one  common  lot  among 
the  wounded,  and  confess,  w^ith  equal  candor,  that 
hitherto  they  had  been  total  strangers  to  the  religion 
of  Jesus.  From  this  meeting,  the  work  was  spread 
extensively  through  Bourbon,  Fayette,  and  other 
neighboring  counties  ;  and  was  carried  by  a  number 
of  its  subjects,  to  the  south  side  of  Kentucky,  where 
it  found  a  permanent  residence  in  the  hearts  of  many. 

The  general  meeting  at  Indian  Creek,  Harrison 
county,  began  the  24th  of  July,  and  continued  about 
five  days  and  nights.  To  this  meeting,  the  subjects 
of  the  work  were  generally  collected  from  all  quarters; 
and  abundantly  strengthened  each  other  in  the  pro- 
miscuous exercises  of  prayer,  exhortation,  singing, 
shouting  and  leaping  for  joy  ;  but  there  was  very  little 
appearance  of  that  power  which  strikes  conviction  to 
the  heart  of  the  sinner,  until  the  third  day,  about  two 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon:  A  boy, from  appearance  about 
\  twelve  years  old,  retired  from  the  stand  in  time  of 
j  preaching,  under  a  very  extraordinary  impression  ; 
and  having  mounted  a  log,  at  some  distance,  and 
raising  his  voice,  in  a  very  affecting  manner,  he  at- 

3 


26 

tracted  the  main  body  of  the  people,  in  a  few  minutes. 
With  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes,  he  cried  aloud  to 
the  wicked,  warning  them  of  their  danger,  denounc- 
ing their  certain  doom,  if  they  persisted  in  their  sins  ; 
expressing  his  love  to  their  souls,  and  desire  that  they 
would  turn  to  the  Lord,  and  be  saved.  He  was  held 
up  by  two  men,  and  spoke  for  about  an  hour,  with 
that  convincing  eloquence  that  could  be  inspired  only 
from  above.  When  his  strength  seemed  quite  ex- 
hausted, and  language  failed  to  describe  the  feelings 
of  his  soul,  he  raised  his  hand,  and  dropping  his  hand- 
kerchief, wet  with  sweat  from  his  little  face,  cried  out: 
''Thus,  O  sinner!  shall  you  drop  into  hell,  unless 
you  forsake  your  sins  and  turn  to  the  Lord."  At  that 
moment  some  fell,  like  those  who  are  shot  in  battle, 
and  the  work  spread  in  a  manner  which  human  lan- 
guage cannot  describe. 

The  next  general  meeting  was  at  Caneridge,  Bour- 
bon county,  seven  miles  from  Paris.  It  began  the 
6th  of  August,  and  continued,  day  and  night,  about 
a  week.  The  number  of  people  collected  on  the 
ground,  at  once,  was  supposed  to  be  about  twenty 
thousand  ;  but  it  was  thought  a  much  greater  number 
were  there  in  the  course  of  the  meeting.  The  en- 
campment consisted  of  one  hundred  and  thirty-five 
wheel-carriages,  and  tents  proportioned  to  the  people. 
This  immense  group  included  almost  every  character 
that  could  be  named  ;  but  amidst  them  all,  the  sub- 
jects of  this  new  and  strange  operation  were  distin- 
guished, by  their  flaming  zeal  for  the  destruction  of 
sin,  and  the  deliverance  of  souls  from  its  power.  The 
various  operations  and  exercises  on  that  occasion  were 
indescribable.  The  falling  exercise  was  the  most 
noted.  James  Crawford,  one  of  the  oldest  ministers 
in  the  State,  and  one  of  the  foremost  in  the  work,  in- 
formed me  that  he  kept  as  accurate  an  account  as  he 
could  of  the  number  that  fell  on  the  occasion,  and 
computed  it  to  be  about  three  thousand.  The  vast 
numbers  who  received  light,  on  this  occasion,  and 


27 

went  forth  in  every  direction  to  spread  it,  render  it 
impossible  to  pursue  any  further  the  particular  track 
of  its  progress.  I  shall  only  add  that  it  was  but  a  few 
weeks  after  this  meeting,  that  the  same  work  broke 
out  in  North  Carolina,  by  the  instrumentality  of  some 
who  went  from  Caneridge  to  bear  the  testimony. 

I  shall  now  take  notice  of  the  opposition,  which 
was  raised  against  the. work,  in  this  first  stage  of  it; 
and  show  some  of  the  causes  from  which  it  sprung. 

The  people  among  whom  the  revival  began,  were 
generally  Calvinists ;  and  although  they  had  been 
long  praying  in  words,  for  the  out-pouring  of  the 
Spirit ;  and  believed  that  God  had  ''  fore-ordained 
whatsoever  comes  to  pass;"  yet,  when  it  came  to  pass 
that  their  prayer  was  answered,  and  the  Spirit  began 
to  flow  like  many  waters,  from  a  cloud  of  witnesses; 
and  souls  were  convicted  of  sin,  and  cried  for  mercy, 
and  found  hope  and  comfort  in  the  news  of  a  Saviour  ; 
they  rose  up  and  quarreled  with  the  work,  because  it 
did  not  come  to  pass  that  the  subjects  of  it  were  wil- 
ling to  adopt  their  soul-stupefying  creed.  Those  who 
had  labored  and  travailed,  to  gain  some  solid  hope  of 
salvation ;  and  had  ventured  their  souls  upon  the 
covenant  of  promise  ;  and  had  felt  the  living  seal  of 
eternal  love;  could  not,  dare  not  preach,  that  salva- 
tion was  restricted  to  a  certain  definite  number;  nor 
insinuate,  that  any  being  which  God  had  made,  was, 
by  the  Creator,  laid  under  the  dire  necessity  of  being 
damned  forever.  The  love  of  a  Saviour  constrained 
them  to  testify,  that  one  had  died  for  all.  This  truth 
so  essential  to  the  first  ray  of  hope  in  the  human 
breast,  was  like  a  dead  fly  in  the  ointment  of  the 
apothecary,  to  the  Calvinist :  hence  all  the  trembling, 
weeping  and  groaning  under  sin,  rejoicing  in  the  hope 
of  deliverance,  and  turning  from  the  former  practice 
of  it,  sent  forth  a  disagreeable  savor.  Yet  these  exer- 
cises would  no  doubt  have  passed  for  a  good  work  of 
God,  had  they  appeared  as  seals  to  their  doctrine  of 
election,  imperfection,  and  final  perseverance.     But 


28 

everything  appeared  new,  and  to  claim  no  relation 
to  the  old  bed  of  sand  upon  which  they  had  been 
building:  and  rather  than  quit  the  old  foundation, 
they  chose  to  reject,  oppose  and  persecute  the  truth, 
although  accompanied  with  all  that  evidence,  which 
many  of  them  were  obliged  to  acknowledge  was  Divine. 

Some  who  were  inwardly  opposed,  at  first  exercised 
forbearance,  and  professed  a  measure  of  union  with 
the  work ;  in  hopes  that  it  would  die  away  like  for- 
mer revivals,  and  the  people  return  into  their  old  or- 
der. But  as  they  perceived  that  it  increased,  they 
laid  aside  the  mask,  and  came  out  with  a  bold  testi- 
mony against  it,  as  a  dangerous  delusion. 

In  some  of  the  churches,  there  were  days  set  apart 
for  fasting  and  prayer,  to  deprecate  the  Divine  displea- 
sure ;  through  which  they  supposed  it  was  sent  upon 
the  land. 

These  public  testimonies  against  the  work,  particu- 
larly by  ministers,  were  a  means  of  stirring  up  and 
encouraging  those  who  were  openly  wicked  to  come 
forth  to  mock,  to  oppose  and  persecute ;  but  even 
such,  were  often  unable  to  withstand  the  power  ;  and 
sometimes  in  the  very  act  of  persecuting  and  afflicting, 
were  struck  down  like  men  in  battle ;  and  so  alarm- 
ing was  the  sight,  that  others,  on  foot  or  on  horse- 
back, would  try  to  make  their  escape  and  flee  away, 
like  those  who  are  closely  pursued  by  an  enemy  in 
time  of  war,  and  be  overtaken  by  the  invisible  power, 
under  which  they  would  be  struck  down  and  con- 
strained to  cry  out  in  anguish,  and  confess  their  wick- 
edness in  persecuting  the  work  of  God,  and  warn 
others  not  to  oppose.  Thus,  many  who  were  openly 
profane,  were  taken  in  the  very  act  of  persecuting  the 
work  ;  and,  like  Saul  of  Tarsus,  made  the  happy  sub- 
jects and  zealous  promoters  of  it ;  while  bigoted  pro- 
fessors, who  had  hissed  them  on,  remained  like  the 
heath  in  the  desert^  that  seeth  not  when  good  cometh. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Of  the  distinguishing  doctrines  and  manner  of 
worship  among  the  first  subjects  of  the  re- 
VIVAL. 

The  first  point  of  doctrine  which  distinguished  the 
subjects  of  the  revival,  was  that  which  respected  Di- 
vine revelation. 

The  established  opinion  in  the  churches  had  been, 
that  the  Scriptures,  explained  according  to  sound  rea- 
son and  philosophy,  was  light  sufficient ;  and  simply 
to  belie v^e  what  we  were  thus  taught,  was  the  highest 
evidence  we  could  have  of  the  truth  of  spiritual  things. 
But  these  adopted  a  very  different  faith,  and  taught, 
as  an  important  truth,  that  the  will  of  God  was  made 
manifest  to  each  individual  who  honestly  sought  after 
it,  by  an  inward  light,  which  shone  into  the  heart 
Hence  they  received  the  name  of  Mew-Lights,  Those 
who  were  the  subjects  of  this  inward  light,  did  not 
call  it  new  light ;  but  a  renewed  manifestation  of  that.^ 
which  at  sundry  times  and  in  divers  manners  had 
been  opened  to  those  who  were  willing  and  desirous 
to  know  the  truth  for  themselves. 

This  inward  light  they  denominated  the  Lord,  be- 
cause by  it  they  were  instructed,  influenced  and  gov- 
erned. Hence,  they  spake  of  seeking  the  Lord,  find- 
ing the  Lord,  loving  the  Lord,  following  the  Lord, 
offending  the  Lord,  &c.  ;  by  all  which  expressions 
was  meant  that  inward  light  and  revelation  of  the 

3* 


30 

truth,  by  which  they  could  see  things  in  their  true 
colors,  and  find  a  measure  of  peace  and  consolation, 
and  a  comfortable  hope  of  eternal  life. 

II.  This  new  light  first  broke  out  in  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church,  among  those  who  held  the  doctrines  of 
Calvin  ;  and  therefore  it  is  considered  as  more  imme- 
diately contrasted  with  that  system.  Those  who  first 
embraced  it,  had  also  been  reputed  Calvinists,  and 
belonged  to  the  Presbyterian  Church  ;  among  whom 
were  several  persons  of  distinction  in  the  ministry  : 
of  course,  the  existence  of  sentiments  so  very  different, 
in  the  same  church,  rendered  a  division  unavoidable. 
This  division  w^as  gradual,  and  had  its  foundation  in 
the  above  principle,  of  a  direct  manifestation  of  spir- 
itual light  from  God  to  the  soul,  which  was  superior 
to  all  the  comments  that  natural  men  had  ever  made 
upon  the  Scriptures.  This  division  in  sentiment,  with 
its  concomitant  effects,  drew  together  a  vast  multitude 
out  of  different  churches,  who  formed  a  general  com- 
munion, and  for  a  time  acceded  to  the  doctrines, 
manner  of  worship,  &c.,  first  opened  and  practiced 
among  the  JSTew-Lights  ;  a  brief  sketch  of  which  is 
as  follows,  viz. :  That  all  creeds,  confessions,  forms  of 
worship,  and  rules  of  government,  invented  by  men, 
ought  to  be  laid  aside,  especially  the  distinguishing 
doctrines  of  Calvin.  That  all  who  received  the  true 
light  of  the  Spirit  in  the  inner  man,  and  faithfully 
followed  it,  would  naturally  see  eye  to  eye,  and  un- 
derstand the  things  of  the  Spirit  alike,  without  any 
written  tenet  or  learned  expositor.  That  all  Avho  re- 
ceived this  true  light,  would  plainly  see  the  purity  of 
God — the  depravity  of  man — the  necessity  of  a  new 
birth,  and  of  a  sinless  life  and  conversation  to  evidence 
it.  That  God  was  no  respecter  of  persons — willeth 
the  salvation  of  all  souls — has  opened  a  door  of  salva- 
tion, through  Christ,  for  all — will  have  all  invited  to 
enter  ;  and  such  as  refuse  to  come  in,  must  blame 
themselves  for  their  own  perdition. 


31 

III.  As  to  worship,  they  allowed  each  one  to  wor- 
ship God  agreeably  to  their  own  feelings,  whatever 
impression  or  consciousness  of  duty  they  were  under; 
believing  the  true  wisdom,  which  "lives  through  all 
life,"  to  be  a  safer  guide  than  human  forms,  which 
can  only  affect  the  outer  man ;  and  hence,  so  wide  a 
door  was  opened,  and  such  a  variety  of  exercises  were 
exhibited  at  their  public  meetings.  All  distinction  of 
names  was  laid  aside,  and  it  was  no  matter  what  any 
one  had  been  called  before,  if  now  he  stood  in  the 
present  light  and  felt  his  heart  glow  with  love  to  the 
souls  of  men ;  he  was  welcome  to  sing,  pray,  or  call 
sinners  to  repentance.  Neither  was  there  any  distinc- 
tion, as  to  age,  sex,  color,  or  anything  of  a  temporary 
nature  ;  old  and  young,  male  and  female,  black  and 
white,  had  equal  privilege  to  minister  the  light  which 
they  received,  in  whatever  way  the  Spirit  directed. 
And  it  was,  moreover,  generally  considered  that  such 
as  professed  to  stand  in  the  light,  and  were  not  active- 
ly engaged,  some  way  or  other,  in  time  of  public 
meeting,  were  only  dead  weights  upon  the  cause. 

IV.  No  one,  who  has  not  been  an  eye-witness,  can 
possibly  paint  in  their  imagination  the  striking  so- 
lemnity of  those  occasions  ;  on  which  the  thousands  of 
Kentuckians  were  convened,  in  one  vast  assembly,  un- 
der the  auspicious  influence  of  the  above  faith.  How 
striking,  to  see  hundreds,  who  never  saw  each  other  in 
the  face  before,  moving  uniformly  into  action,  without 
any  preconcerted  plan,  and  each,  without  intruding 
upon  another,  taking  that  part  assigned  him  by  a  con- 
scious feeling,  and  in  this  manner,  dividing  into  bands, 
over  a  large  extent  of  ground,  interspersed  with  tents 
and  wagons ;  some  uniting  their  voices  in  the  most 
melodious  songs ;  others  in  solemn  and  affecting  ac- 
cents of  prayer :  some  lamenting,  with  streaming  eyes, 
their  lost  situation,  or  that  of  a  wicked  world  ;  others 
lying,  apparently,  in  the  cold  embrace  of  death :  some 
instructing  the  ignorant  and  directing  the  doubtful, 


32 

and  urging  them,  in  the  day  of  God's  visitation,  to 
make  sure  work  for  eternity ;  others,  from  some  emi- 
nence, sounding  the  general  trump  of  a  free  salvation, 
and  warning  sinners  to  fly  from  the  wrath  to  come ; 
the  surrounding  forest,  at  the  same  time,  vocal  with 
the  cries  of  the  distressed — sometimes  to  the  distance 
of  half  a  mile  or  a  mile  in  circumference. 

How  persons,  so  different  in  their  education,  man- 
ners and  natural  dispositions,  without  any  visible  com- 
mander, could  enter  upon  such  a  scene,  and  continue 
in  it  for  days  and  nights,  in  perfect  harmony,  has 
been  one  of  the  greatest  wonders  that  ever  the  Avorld 
beheld  ;  and  was,  no  doubt,  included  in  the  vision  of 
that  man,  who,  falling  into  a  trance,  with  his  eyes 
open,  cried  out :  "  How  goodly  are  thy  tents ^  O  Jacob f 
and  thy  tabernacles,  O  Israel/  as  the  vallies  are  they 
spread  forth^  as  gardens  by  the  river  side ;  as  the  trees 
of  lignaloesy  whic/i  the  Lord  hath  planted.^' 

V.  The  supernatural  and  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Spirit,  which  were  visible  among  this  people,  are  not 
less  worthy  of  notice,  than  their  distinguishing  faith 
and  manner  of  worship :  such  as  left  no  remaining 
doubt  of  the  restitution  of  that  sacred  panoply  ;  which, 
together  with  the  apostolic  faith,  had  been  trodden 
under  foot  for  many  hundred  years,  by  the  power  of 
Antichrist.  To  evince  this,  as  the  faith  of  that  peo- 
ple, at  least,  I  insert  a  few  extracts  from  their  writ- 
ings : 

David  Purviance,  in  a  letter  dated  Caneridge,  March 
1,  1802,  writes  thus  :  *'Some  things  have  lately  taken 
place  among  us,  which  I  think  more  extraordinary 
than  any  I  have  seen  or  heard,  since  the  apostolic  age. 
The  case  of  Rachel  Martin  was  truly  miraculous.  I 
suppose  you  have  heard  of  it."  This  extraordinary 
case  is  illustrated  by  the  following  extract  from  ano- 
ther hand  :  "Last  Saturday  exceeded  by  far  anything 
I  ever  saw  before.  Rachel  Martin  was  struck  the 
Thursday  night  after  you  left  this.     She  never  eat. 


33 

nor  spoke,  for  nine  days  and  nights.  I  was  there 
when  she  rose  and  spoke  ;  her  countenance  was,  as  it 
were,  refined,  [i,  e.  transfigured,]  she  told  me  she  was 
free  from  the  world  all  that  time ;  she  says  the  work 
will  increase.  P.  H." 

^neas  M'Callister,  speaking  of  the  work  in  North 
Carolina,  observes  :  ''  The  like  wonders  have  not  been 
seen,  except  the  Kentucky  Revival,  last  summer, 
since  the  apostles'  days.  I  suppose  the  exercises  of 
our  congregation,  this  last  winter,  surpassed  anything 
I  have  ever  seen  or  heard  of.  I  sometimes  think  it 
would  have  been  well  if  they  had  been  kept  in,  and 
never  told." 

It  is  certain,  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  for  they  are  foolishness  to 
him  :  hence  Christ  instructed  his  disciples  not  to  cast 
pearls  before  swine  ;  for  the  same  cause,  so  little  has 
been  published  abroad  concerning  the  deep  things  of 
God,  made  manifest  among  the  people  called  JYew- 
Lights:  and  for  the  same  reason,  these  things  can  be 
but  slightly  touched  at  present. 

VI.  That  the  power  was  supernatural,  by  which 
such  multitudes  were  struck  down,  required  no  argu- 
ments to  prove  :  and  had  they  never  risen  again,  there 
might  have  been  some  reason  for  charging  it  to  the  de- 
vil :  but  who  has  power  to  kill  and  make  alive  again  1 
Could  any  one,  with  the  rationality  of  a  man,  suppose 
that  anything  short  of  the  power  of  God,  could  sus- 
pend the  functions  of  animal  life,  for  an  hour,  a  day, 
or  a  week  ;  and  again  restore  them  with  additional 
brightness.  Is  nature  wont  to  assume  such  apparent 
changes,  as  for  tens,  and  fifties,  moved,  at  the  same 
time,  by  the  same  instinct,  to  forget  the  use  of  every 
limb,  and  prostrate  fall,  no  matter  where,  and  yawn, 
and  gasp,  and  expire,  in  a  cold  sweat  ?  This  belongs 
not  to  nature ;  and  as  little  does  it  belong  to  nature, 
to  exempt  her  sons  from  wounds  and  bruises,  broken 


34 

liaibs  and  aching  heads,  in  case  of  such  repeated  and 
dangerous  falls  as  were  common  among  the  JVew- 
Lights,  And  least  of  all,  could  nature's  power  ex- 
tend to  their  resurrection,  after  an  hour,  a  week,  or 
nine  days'  trance.  Who  wants  a  miracle  to  arouse 
his  faith,  and  fix  it  on  the  sacred  truths  recorded  in 
the  Scriptures  ;  let  him  recognize  the  camp-meeting, 
let  him  find  the  man,  or  woman,  whose  immortal  part, 
for  hours,  and  days,  traversed  the  regions  of  eternity, 
while  the  breathless  body  lay  as  a  spectacle  of  terror 
to  surrounding  friends.  The  learned  expositor  of 
Scripture,  and  the  one  whom  he  opprobriously  terms 
ah  infidel,  are  equally  baflfled  with  the  falling  exer- 
cise ;  the  one,  upon  his  hypothesis,  that  there  ne- 
ver was  such  a  thing  as  a  miracle  in  the  days  of  the 
apostles  ;  and  the  other,  that,  there  never  was  to  be 
such  a  thing  after.  All  their  experiments  and  re- 
searches were  in  vain,  to  reduce  this  operation  to  some 
natural  cause.  Their  feeling  the  pulse,  changing  the 
situation  of  the  person,  applying  smelling  bottles, 
bathing  with  camphor  or  cold  water,  letting  of  blood, 
&c.,  could  never  make  half  the  discovery  in  the  case, 
that  those  made  who  came  with  their  barrels  of  whis- 
key, to  retail  out  to  the  multitude.  By  such  it  was 
abundantly  proved,  that  the  readiest  way  to  keep 
clear  of  this  extraordinary  exercise,  was  to  drown  the 
soul  in  debauchery  and  vice.  Many  circumstances, 
beating  and  confounding  to  the  wisdom  of  man,  at- 
tended the  exercises  mentioned,  which,  for  the  sake 
of  brevity,  have  to  be  omitted.  And  yet,  however 
extraordinary  these  things  were,  they  were  not  consi- 
dered by  the  people  as  the  most  evidential  of  a  work 
of  the  true  spirit ;  something  much  greater  was  com- 
monly expected  to  succeed  their  resurrection,  of  greater 
importance,  than  anything  that  went  before.  The 
word  of  exhortation  is  ranked  among  the  apostolic 
gifts;  and  as  such  it  was  considered  by  the  JVevj-Lights, 
This  gift  was  generally  expected  on  the  occasion  of 
rising  from  the  before-mentioned  trance,  and  such  ex- 


35 

pectations  were  very  commonly  answered.  The  ex- 
hortations delivered  on  those  occasions,  by  all  ranks 
and  colors,  but  especially  by  small  children,  were  so 
evidential  of  a  Divine  power,  so  searching  to  the  con- 
science, so  wounding  to  the  sinner,  that  the  hiost  ob- 
stinate unbelievers  have  fallen  doAvn,  like  those  of  old, 
and  confessed  that  God  was  in  them  of  a  truth. 

It  required  a  spirit  more  incredulous  than  that  which 
has  commonly  been  called  infidelity,  to  deny  a  super- 
natural agency  in  the  case  of  such  pathetic  and 
powerful  addresses  from  little  children — not  only  un- 
learned, but  also  of  the  most  bashful  and  unpopular  cast 
of  mind.  Such  little  ones,  of  eight  or  ten  years  old, 
raised  upon  the  shoulders,  or  held  up  in  the  arms  of 
some  one,  in  the  midst  of  vast  multitudes,  would 
speak  in  a  manner  so  marvelous  and  astonishing; 
that  persons  of  the  most  rugged  passions  would  dis- 
solve into  tears ;  and  professors  of  the  foremost  rank, 
confess  that  hitherto  they  had  been  total  strangers  to 
that  heavenly  sense  and  feeling,  which  distinguishes 
a  child  of  God.  So  deep  were  the  effects  of  truth 
delivered  in  the  simple  language  of  a  child,  of  which 
the  following  may  serve  as  a  short  specimen : 

''Oh,  the  sweetness  of  redeeming  love!  Oh,  if  sinners 
knew  the  sweetness  of  redeeming  love,  they  would 
all  come  to  the  overflowing  fountain!"  The  general 
gift  of  exhortation,  was  to  search  out  the  sinner,  con- 
vict him  of  sin,  and  warn  him  to  fly  from  it ;  and  they 
often  came  so  pointed,  even  to  naming  out  the  person, 
and  publicly  arraigning  him  for  specific  crimes,  that 
often  evil  spirits,  whose  work  is  to  cover  iniquity,  and 
conceal  it,  were  stirred  up  to  great  fury ;  and  those 
possessed  with  them  would  come  forth  in  a  great  rage, 
threatening  and  blaspheming  against  the  author  of 
the  revival,  and,  bold  as  Goliah,  challenge  his  armies 
to  a  rencounter.  Could  nature,  without  bloodshed 
and  slaughter,  overcome  beings  so  fierce?  Or,  must 
it  not  be  something  supernatural?  To  see  a  bold 
Kentuckian  (undaunted  by  the  horrors  of  war)  turn 


36 

pale  and  tremble  at  the  reproof  of  a  woman,  a  little 
boy,  or  a  mean  African ;  to  see  him  sink  down  in  deep 
remorse,  roll  and  toss,  and  gnash  his  teeth,  till  black 
in  the  face ;  entreat  the  prayers  of  those  he  came  to 
devour  ;  and,  through  their  fervent  intercessions  and 
kind  instructions,  obtain  deliverance ;  and  return  in 
the  possession  of  the  meek  and  gentle  spirit  which  he 
set  out  to  oppose :  who  would  say  the  change  was  not 
supernatural  and  miraculous?  Such  exorcisms,  or 
casting  out  of  evil  spirits,  are  justly  ranked  among 
the  wonders  which  attended  the  JYew-Light ;  nor 
could  the  man,  once  delivered  from  iheLegion^go  home 
with  greater  joy,  to  tell  his  friends  what  great  things 
Jesus  had  done  for  him,  than  many  returned  from 
these  encamping  grounds  to  announce  to  their  former 
companions  their  happy  change. 

VII.  To  what  has  been  said,  it  may  be  objected, 
that  many,  who  were  converted  in  this  extraordinary 
manner,  gave  no  lasting  evidence  of  a  real  change, 
but  returned  again  to  their  former  courses :  and  as 
they  testified  that  they  were  all  actuated  by  one 
spirit,  if  some  were  mistaken,  why  not  the  whole  1 

I  answer,  the  work  of  God  is  one  thing,  and  the 
opinion  formed  by  the  subject  of  it,  another.  If  it 
should  be  granted  that  many,  or  even  all,  were  mis- 
taken, as  to  the  immediate  effect  of  the  work,  this 
would  not  alter  the  work  from  what  it  was.  If  a 
foolish  person  should  take  grain,  when  it  was  only  in 
the  blossom,  and  say  it  was  ripe — and  go  to  reaping, 
binding  and  stacking  it — this  would  not  prove  that 
the  ploughing  and  sowing  had  not  been  well  done 
by  a  good  farmer.  Spiritual  life  is  of  a  growing  na- 
ture, as  well  as  vegetable  and  animal  life :  And  if 
many,  zealous  to  increase  the  number  of  their  dis- 
ciples, did  deceive  the  generality  with  a  vain  per- 
suasion, that  a  short  scene  of  conviction,  light  and 
comfort,  comprehended  all  that  was  contained  in  the 
new  birth,  and  cut  them  off  from  any  further  growth 


37 

— ^this  did  not  prove  that  their  impressions  had  not  a 
proper  beginning,  or  were  not  of  the  genuine  kind. 

Ohj,  2.  If  this  great  appearance  of  union  and  gen- 
eral communion  was  of  God,  why  did  it  not  increase  1 
Ans.  Why  did  not  that  union  and  communion  in- 
crease, which  existed  among  the  Pharisees,  Sadducees, 
Essenes,  Herodians  and  Syrophoenicians,  who  followed 
Christ  into  the  wilderness,  and  encamped  there  day 
and  night  1  The  reason  is  plain  :  the  foundation  of  a 
lasting  union  could  not  be  laid  until  the  rubbish  was 
cleared  out  of  the  way  ;  and  as  this  was  the  first  work 
then,  so  it  was  in  the  late  revival.  Those  who  fol- 
lowed the  true  light  were  united  in  breaking  down, 
and  burning  that  which  was  old  and  rotten  ;  and  this 
had  to  be  done  before  they  could  unite  in  building  up 
that  which  is  sound  and  permanent.  So  that  a  union, 
in  the  first  case,  although  it  is  productive  of  greater 
division  yet,  is  both  a  shadow  and  a  sure  pledge  of 
that  union  which  follows  in  consequence. 

.  Ohj,  3.  But  what  do  you  make  of  those  who  testified 
that  they  had  got  all  the  rubbish  destroyed — were  car- 
ried above  all  sin,  and  temptation,  and  pain,  and  never 
should  suffer  again — were  higher  than  Elijah — per- 
fectly blessed ,  and  filled  with  the  fulness  of  God  ;  and 
with  all  this,  so  united  in  heart  that  they  never  could 
part,  &c.,  and  yet  after  all  turn  to  hate  one  another 
worse  than  ever,  and  live  as  loose  and  wicked  as 
others  ?   so  that  they  cauld  afterwards  say, 

"  Ah !  where  am  I  now  ?     When  was  it,  or  how. 
That  I  fell  from  my  heaven  of  grace  ? 
I  am  stripped  of  my  all — I  am  hrought  into  thrall — 
I  am  banished  from  Jesus's  face." 

Do  not  such  changes  prove  that  their  extraordinary 
light  was  all  a  delusion'?  Ans,  If  so,  the  same  ar- 
gument will  prove  that  every  dispensation  of  light, 

4     ^ 


38 

both  under  the  law  and  gospel  was  a  delusion ;  for 
after  the  brightest  manifestations  there  was  always  a 
falling  away.  Did  not  the  whole  camp  of  Israel  fall 
away  after  the  giving  of  the  law  upon  Mount  Sinai  1 
But  did  this  prove  that  the  light  they  saw  there,  and 
all  the  signs  and  wonders  that  preceded  and  accompa- 
nied it,  was  delusion?  David,  Solomon,  and  all  the 
kings  and  people  of  Israel  fell  away  ;  and  how  often 
was  this  chosen  generation  brought  under  judgments, 
and  banished  into  captivity ;  not  to  prove  that  their 
extraordinary  light  had  been  all  delusion,  but  the  con- 
trary, John  the  Baptist  decreased,  and  his  followers 
came  to  nothing,  and  all  that  had  followed  Jesus  for 
three  years  forsook  him,  and  fell  away  in  the  hour  of 
trial.  If  this  was  not  sufficient,  according  to  the  above 
objection,  to  prove  their  light  a  delusion,  you  may  add 
the  universal  apostacy  that  prevailed  through  the  long 
reign  of  Antichrist,  in  which  there  was  none  that  did 
goody  and  sinned  not  y  no^  not  one.  Now,  if  the  same 
visible  consequences  have  attended  this  kind  of  light, 
first  and  last,  the  different  manifestations  of  it  must  be 
established  or  condemned,  together.  But  to  obviate 
the  question  more  particularly,  it  will  be  proper  to  ob- 
serve, that  Divine  light  is  first  received  by  faith.  We 
must  first  believe  the  report  concerning  things  invisible, 
before  we  can  see  the  object  face  to  face,  and  actually 
possess  it.  And  the  firm  belief  of  a  thing  will  produce 
great  effects  both  on  the  mind  and  body.  Whom  hav- 
ing not  seen  ye  love  ;  in  whom  believing^  though  now  ye 
see  him  not,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of 
glory.  This  unspeakable  joy  was  merely  the  fruit  of 
faith  in  those  who  had  yet  to  receive  the  end  of  their 
faithi  even  the  salvation  of  the  soul.  Now,  if  those 
called  Jfew-Lights  did  testify  that  they  were  dead  to 
the  world,  and  risen  with  Christ  above  all  sin,  tempta- 
tion, pain  and  suffering — were  full  of  glory,  and  per- 
fectly blessed  with  the  fulness  of  God — united  in  heart, 
and  beyond  the  possibility  of  a  separation — they  only 
meant  that  this  was  their  situation  by  faith ;  f.  e.,  they 


39 

had  full  faith  that  such  a  state  was  attainable,  and  were 
swallowed  up  in  the  delightful  contemplation  of  it,  as 
though  they  were  actually  in  it.  But  that  it  was  not 
their  real  situation  was  evident  from  their  repeated 
complaints  of  remaining  darkness,  and  their  prayers 
for  returning  light.  If  it  is  said,  that  upon  this  princi- 
ple all  their  exercises  were  only  the  workings  of  ima- 
gination :  I  answer,  that  until  a  thing  is  brought  present 
to  the  senses,  the  brightest  knowledge  we  can  have  of 
it  is  a  bright  and  clear  imagination,  by  means  of  a 
shadow  or  image  of  the  thing.  But  we  must  distin- 
guish between  a  vain  imagination,  and  that  which  is 
properly  founded.  If  we  form  an  imagination  of  a 
thing  that  has  no  existence,  that  imagination  is  vain  ; 
but  it  is  not  so  when  the  image  of  a  thing  is  drawn 
upon  the  mind,  which  has  actual  existence.  What 
knowledge  had  the  Jews  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ 
while  under  the  ceremonial  law,  beyond  the  effect  of 
lively  images  1  The  law  having  a  shadow  of  good  things 
to  come,  and  not  the  very  substance  of  the  things,  could 
never,  with  those  sacrifices  which  they  offered  year  hy 
year,  continually,  make  the  comers  thereunto  perfect ; 
for  would  they  not  then  have  ceased  to  he  offered  ?  Ob- 
serve, their  imaginations  were  not  vain,  they  were 
shadows  of  good  things,  real  substances,  although  they 
were  yet  to  come,  and  absolutely  necessary  to  come, 
in  order  to  their  perfection.  Now,  the  cases  are  per- 
fectly similar :  for  if  the  JVew-Lights  had  found  real 
perfection  by  the  aforementioned  exercises,  would  not 
these  exercises  have  ceased  of  course  ?  But  the  same 
persons  would  fall  again,  and  again,  and  rise  with  the 
same  transfigured  countenance,  and  testify  that  they 
felt  Christ  in  them,  and  were  full  of  glory,  as  before ; 
and  again  cry  out  for  Christ  to  come  and  pardon,  and 
save  them  from  their  sins  ;  so  that  at  every  meeting 
the  same  sacrifices  were  continually  offered  ;  which 
was  a  plain  evidence  that  their  affections  were  raised 
by  an  influential  faith,  a  confident  expectation  of  things 
hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen.     And  if 


40 

any  should  build  upon  their  faith,  and  deceive  them- 
selves with  the  shadow,  and  think  it  was  the  sub- 
stance, they  must  blame  themselves;  for  common 
sense  is  capable  of  making  the  distinction.  p 

Obj,  4.  But  if  it  was  the  true  light  of  the  Spirit  they 
were  in,  must  not  that  light  have  secured  them  from 
any  such  mistake  ?  I  answer,  why  did  not  the  light 
on  mount  Tabor,  show  the  three  disciples  that  what 
they  saw  was  only  a  vision,  and  that  Jesus  was  not 
yet  glorified  ?  Why  were  all  the  disciples  so  mistaken 
about  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  both  before  and  after 
their  master  was  crucified?  Why  did  they  expect  it 
to  come  with  observation,  and  immediately  appear  1 
And  why  were  they  so  mistaken  as  to  think  that  John 
would  never  die  1  &c.  The  light  of  God  was  never 
sent  to  those  who  were  under  no  mistakes,  but  to  such 
as  were  all  over  immersed  in  errors  and  mistakes,  and 
willing  to  see  it,  and  have  their  mistakes  corrected. 
The  first  work  of  God  is  to  discover  errors  and  mis- 
takes, and  have  them  put  out  of  the  way ;  and  this 
must  needs  be  done,  beifore  anything  substantial  and 
permanent  can  be  built  up.  Hence  the  work  among 
the  New-Lights  was  intended  to  tear  down,  and  remove 
the  rubbish  of  old  systems  ;  and  therefore  the  subjects 
of  it,  had  practically,  and  experimentally  to  handle, 
and  prove  the  corrupt  materials  of  the  whole  fabric. 
To  be  elected,  and  singled  out  as  the  distinguished  ob- 
jects of  irresistible  grace,  carried  through  the  deplora- 
ble fall,  even  to  the  resurrection  ;  and  after  being 
raised  up  in  glory,  soul  and  body  reunited,  openly  ac- 
knowledged and  acquitted  as  dear  children  of  God  ; 
and  made  perfectly  blessed,  as  they  supposed,  yet  af- 
ter all,  they  found  they  were  in  their  sins,  "  exposed 
to  all  the  miseries  in  this  life,  to  death  itself,  and  to 
the  pains  of  hell  forever."  Consequently  the  whole 
building  must  be  one  grand  mistake  throughout,  and 
therefore  in  obedience  to  that  light,  by  which  they 
discovered  the  rottenness  and  danger  of  the  old  build- 


41 

ing",  they  determined  to  forsake  it,  or  roll  it  piece  by 
piece,  out  of  the  way,  until  the  way  was  prepared  for 
a  better  foundation  to  be  laid.  The  disciples  and  fol- 
lowers of  Jesus  had  his  promise,  that  they  should  re- 
ceive the  Holy  Ghost,  who  would  abide  with  them 
forever  ;  that  he  and  the  Father  would  come  and  make 
their  abode  with  them.  But  until  the  promise  was 
fulfilled,  their  old  Pharisaical  errors  remained,  and 
they  were  liable  to  pervert  and  abuse  all  the  new  light 
they  received,  by  mixing  it  with  their  vain  supersti- 
tions, and  traditions  of  men.  The  greater  part  gloried 
that  such  a  Saviour  w^as  raised  up  to  Israel :  but  if  they 
had  not  been  mistaken  they  would  rather  have  gloried 
in  such  a  breaker  being  raised  up  to  Israel.  The  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  were  much  more  mistaken  at  first  than 
his  avowed  enemies  ;  for  the  latter  evidently  saw,  that 
he  would  be  the  occasion  of  taking  away  their  place 
and  nation,  unless  he  could  be  defeated  by  superior 
power  :  whereas  the  former  imagined,  that  his  whole 
design  was  to  build  them  up ;  and  hence  in  the  midst 
of  all  their  glorying,  and  the  exercise  of  such  spiritual 
power  as  they  had,  they  were  so  often  warned  not  to 
rest  in  what  they  had  received.  No  wonder  then,  if 
many  of  the  opposers  of  the  late  revival,  in  its  first 
stages  were  capable  of  forming  a  more  correct  judg- 
ment, concerning  the  visible  effects  of  it,  than  those 
who  were  in  it ;  and  of  improving  upon  the  admoni- 
tions given  to  the  disciples  of  old,  in  a  similar  case,  to 
convince  the  New-Lights  that  all  their  mighty  gifts, 
did  not  carry  them  out  of  the  reach  of  danger.  Not 
every  one  that  saith.  Lord,  Lord-,  for  many  shall  say 
unto  me  in  that  day.  Lord,  Lord,  have  we  not  prophe- 
sied in  thy  name,  and  in  thy  name  cast  out  devils  1 
and  in  thy  name  done  many  wonderful  works  ?  and 
then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you  ;  de- 
part from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Concerning  the  separation  of  those  called  New- 
Lights  FROM  THE  Presbyterian  Church. 

A  DIVISION  must  always  precede  a  separation.  That 
division  in  sentiment,  which  began  about  the  com- 
mencement of  the  present  century,  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  continually  increased,  until  it  effected  an  im- 
portant separation,  which  took  place  in  the  month  of 
September,  1803.  A  particular  account  of  which  is 
published  in  a  pamphlet,  entitled,  An  apology  for  re- 
nouncing the  jurisdiction  of  the  Synod  of  Kentucky j 
printed  in  Lexington  (K.),  1804.  It  is  an  old  proverb, 
that  "two  cannot  walk  together  unless  they  be  agreed." 
For  nearly  three  years  the  subjects  and  promoters  of 
the  revival,  continued  their  outward  church  member- 
ship with  those,  whose  constant  labor  it  was,  to  oppose 
and  suppress  it ;  this  was  a  painful  situation  to  both 
parties,  for  the  New-Light  to  be  chained  down  in  si- 
lence, forbidden  to  pray,  exhort,  or  make  any  noise 
or  uproar,  in  time  of  meeting,  however  clearly  he  saw 
the  danger  of  the  wicked,  or  felt  his  soul  overflowing 
with  the  love  and  goodness  of  God.  And  no  less 
painful  did  it  feel  to  the  expounder,  and  those  who 
contented  themselves  with  his  learned  and  ingenious 
labors,  to  be  interrupted  by  a  sudden  shout,  and  put 
to  silence,  by  the  din  which  commonly  followed  ;  and 
worst  of  all,  to  hear  that  system,  by  which  he  had  all 


43 

his  wealth  in  this  world,  and  the  hope  of  a  favorite  in- 
terest in  a  better,  set  at  naught  by  the  general  procla- 
mation, whosoever  will,  let  him  come  and  take  of  the 
water  of  life  freely.  But  thus  it  continued,  ufitil  the 
unequivocal,  and  open  testimony  of  several  ministers, 
came  forth  in  vindication  of  the  new  doctrine,  and  the 
operations  and  exercises  which  attended  it ;  and  in 
pointed  opposition  to  the  Presbyterian  system.  This 
furnished  the  desirable  occasion,  of  banishing  from  the 
standing  community,  those  flaming  zealots,  whom 
ministerial  authority  had  failed  to  reduce  into  subjec- 
tion. 

TI.  But  that  those  who  were  destined  to  excommu- 
nication on  account  of  their  faithful  zeal,  might  not 
be  wholly  left  without  the  usual  claim  of  congenial 
descent,  from  Leo  the  Great;  the  dissenting  ministers 
voluntarily  withdrew  from  under  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  according  to  their  own 
history,  "constituted  themselves  into  a  presbytery,  as 
you  will  see  from  the  minutes  of  their  first  meeting. 
(See  Apology,  p.  37.)  "  We,  the  above  named,  Rob- 
ert Marshall,  John  Dunlavy,  Richard  M'Nemar, 
Barton  W.  Stone  and  John  Thompson,  having  enter- 
ed the  above  protest,  and  withdrawn  from  under  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Synod  of  Kentucky,  and  of  the 
presbyteries  to  which  we  belonged,  do  now  formally 
unite  in  a  body  as  a  presbytery,  known  by  the  name 
of  the  Presbytery  of  Springfield.  The  design  of  these 
men,  as  they  themselves  testify  in  all  their  writings, 
was  not  to  lay  the  foundation  of  any  church  or  dis- 
tinct party  ;  but  as  they  express  it,  (Apology,  p.  20.) 
they  considered  this  "presbytery  providentially  form- 
ed to  cover  the  truth  from  the  impending  storm,  and 
check  the  lawless  career  of  imposition.  Nevertheless 
they  proceeded  to  organize  what  they  called  church- 
es, although  they  considered  their  existence  as  only 
pro  tempore,  a  kind  of  asylum,  for  those  who  were 


44 

cast  out ;  that  they  might  come  forth  and  he  there,  like 
David's  father  and  mother,  with   the  king  of  Moab, 

until  they  would  know  what  God  would  do  for  them, 

* 

III.  On  this  occasion  as  far  as  the  way  was  opened 
for  a  separation,  the  subjects  of  the  revival,  who  were 
sincere  in  their  profession,  generally  came  forth  and 
united  with  the  seceding  body,  which  were  distin- 
guished by  the  name  of  Schismatics. 

As  this  separation  was  productive  of  a  very  impor- 
tant change,  and  placed  the  subjects  of*  the  revival 
in  a  different  situation  from  what  they  had  been,  as 
far  as  it  extended  ;  it  will  be  proper  to  trace  the  out- 
lines of  those  new  formed  churches  in  their  separate 
capacity,  and  the  first  thing  to  be  considered,  is  their 
manner  of  constituting.  Every  house  must  be  build- 
ed  upon  some  foundation  ;  all  human  creeds  and  con- 
fessions had  been  disannulled,  or  rolled  out  of  the 
way  ;  the  power  and  authority  of  modern  clergy,  as 
successive  to  the  apostles  was  renounced,  and  the 
Presbytery  of  Springfield  confessed  and  denied  not, 
that  they  were  as  far  oflf  the  true  foundation  as  the 
rest.  In  this  predicament  they  concluded,  that  they 
would  stand  the  safest,  and  be  most  retired,  and  most 
out  of  sight  from  contending  parties,  upon  the  foun- 
dation of  all  their  foundation  v^z.  :  the  Scriptures. 
The  following  minute  extracted  from  the  records  of 
Turtle  Creek  Church,  will  develope  this  point  more 
particularly;  according  to  which  plan  the  churches 
in  general  which  are  called  Schismatic,  were  organ- 
ized. 

April  20th,  1804. 

^^  The  session  taking  into  consideration  the  proprie- 
ty of  a  more  close  attention  to  the  government  and 
discipline  of  the  Church,  think  it  expedient  to  state 
to  the  people  at  large,  who  have  considered  them- 
selves under  our  care,  the  following  observations,  on 
that   subject.     I.  We   think   it   the  privilege  of  the 


45 

Church  mutually  to  profess  their  regard  to  the  Holy- 
Scriptures,  as  the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  the 
only  standard  of  doctrine  and  discipline.  II.  We 
think  the  eldership  ought  not  to  form  a  separate  body 
distinct  from  the  Church  itself,  or  go  out  of  doors  se- 
cretly to  transact  such  business,  as  concerns  the  body 
of  the  people  at  large.  III.  We  think  it  tends  to 
keep  the  body  of  the  people  in  the  dark,  and  obstruct 
a  real  spirit  of  communion,  to  examine  and  admit 
members — try  causes  of  scandal — censure — rebuke — 
reprove,  or  suspend  in  secret,  or  to  transact  privately 
by  the  representatives  of  the  people,  such,  or  any 
other  business  of  a  public  nature.  IV.  We  think  it 
expedient,  in  order  to  the  due  exercise  of  govern- 
ment and  discipline,  that  all  who  believe  should  be 
together  in  one  place  *  *  *  *  We  therefore  recom- 
mend that  the  Church  constitute  in  the  place  for  pub- 
lic worship,"  &c.  '*  Moreover,  that  the  foregoing 
observations  be  publicly  read  in  the  congregation, 
and  the  voice  of  the  Church  taken  on  the  expediency 
of  immediately  reducing  them  to  practice.  Signed, 
William  Bedel,  Malcham  Worley,  Matthias  Spring, 
Aaron  TuUis,  Samuel  Sering,  Francis  Bedel,  Richard 
M'Nemar.  Accordingly  at  the  close  of  public  wor- 
ship, the  above  observations  were  read,  and  after  a 
brief  discussion  of  the  subject,  the  following  propo- 
sitions were  stated  to  the  members  in  particular,  viz.  : 
Do  we  adopt  the  Holy  Scriptures  as  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice,  the  only  standard  of  doctrine  and 
discipline  1  Do  we  agree  to  constitute  a  Church,  and 
in  that  capacity  to  transact  business  ?  The  questions 
being  put,  were  answered  in  the  affirmative  with  up- 
lifted hands,  without  a  dissenting  voice.  The  num- 
ber were  about  seventy-four,  who  voted  as  above,  re- 
mained in  the  house  after  the  congregation  was 
dismissed,  and  took  their  seats  as  members  of  the 
Church.  It  was  moved  that  the  use  of  (lead)  tokens 
be  laid  aside,  and  the  members  all  take  their  seats  at 
once.     It  was  also  moved  and  agreed  that  the  endear- 


46 

ing"  appellation   of  Brother   and   Sister,  be   revived 
among  the  members. 

It  is  to  be  observed,  that  in  those  congregations 
where  the  members  of  the  new  Presbytery  resided, 
the  Presbyterian  mode  of  government  had  been  prac- 
ticed for  some  time  after  the  separation.  Neither  did 
the  Presbytery  immediately  resign  their  reputed  au- 
thority, although  in  everything  they  introduced  some 
alteration.  They  considered  it  their  prerogative  to 
license  public  teachers  ;  or  rather  to  forward  those 
"who,  they  believed,  were  chosen  and  called  of  God. 
The  following,  written  at  Springfield,  March,  1804, 
will  serve  as  a  specimen  : 

'^  Forasmuch  as  our  brother,  Malcham  Worley,  has 
made  known  to  us  the  exercises  of  his  mind  for  some 
time  past,  expressive  of  a  Divine  call  to  labor  in  word 
and  doctrine ;  and  we  being  satisfied,  from  a  long  and 
intimate  acquaintance  with  him,  of  his  talents,  both 
natural  and  acquired,  being  such  as,  through  the  grace 
of  God,  may  render  him  useful ;  and  considering  that 
the  way  of  God  is  above  our  ways,  it  therefore  seemed 
good  to  us,  with  one  accord  to  encourage  our  brother 
to  the  work,  whereunto  we  trust  the  Holy  Ghost  is 
calling  him :  and  we  do  hereby  recommend  him  to 
the  churches  scattered  abroad,  to  be  forwarded  in  his 
calling,  according  to  the  manifestation  of  the  Spirit 
given  to  him  to  profit  withal.  Signed  in  behalf  of 
the  Presbytery,  B.  W.  STONE,  Cl'k." 

As  it  was  but  a  short  time  before  the  Presbytery 
were  convicted  that  their  union  was  formed  upon 
Antichristian  principles,  and  under  that  conviction 
dissolved  ;  it  will  be  unnecessary  to  say  anything  fur- 
ther concerning  the  government  and  discipline  exer- 
cised by  them.  Their  principal  object  was  to  set  the 
people  at  liberty,  from  the  contracted  folds  into  which 
they  had  been  gathered  by  idol  shepherds  in  the  cloudy 
and  dark  day.     And  as  soon  as  they  constituted  into  a 


47 

separate  body  as  above,  with  the  Scriptures  iinex- 
pounded  as  their  only  index,  nothing-  remained  for 
the  Presbytery  to  do,  in  relation  to  them,  but  to  sit 
and  watch,  as  Jonah  sat  in  his  booth,  to  see  what 
would  become  of  the  city. 

It  now  remains  to  give  some  account  of  the  churches 
and  people  called  Schismatics, 

IV.  From  their  own  expressions,  it  is  difficult  to 
say  what  their  real  character  was  in  their  own  esti- 
mation. 

They  speak  of  themselves  as  a  church  about  to  con- 
stitute a  church ;  but  how  the  first  was  constituted  ap- 
pears not  to  have  been  considered.  Again,  they  speak 
of  the  people  at  large,  the  churches  at  large,  &c.  If 
these  expressions  have  any  definite  signification,  they 
must  mean,  the  churches  at  liberty,  the  people  at  lib- 
erty, &c.  To  be  set  at  large,  and  at  liberty,  means 
one  and  the  same  thing.  It  follows  then,  that  they 
considered  the  people,  who  had  been  set  at  large  by 
the  preceding  work,  as  now  constituting  churches  at 
large  or  at  liberty,  who  should  be  bound  by  no  form 
of  doctrine  or  discipline,  but  stand  loose  upon  the  va- 
riegated fields  of  antideluvianism,  patriarchism,  Juda- 
ism, baptism,  Christianity,  and  Gentile-partyism,  or 
whatever  else  was  meted  out  between  the  lids  of  the 
Bible,  either  by  history,  precept,  promise,  or  prophecy. 
Yet  notwithstanding  this  extensive  liberty,  it  is  truly 
marvelous  and  astonishing  to  consider  the  regular 
manner  in  which  they  proceed  from  thing  to  thing  in 
the  investigation  of  truth.  And  what  is  still  more 
striking,  is  the  union  and  harmony  which  existed 
among  them  in  those  investigations,  and  the  subordi- 
nation which  they  manifested,  in  relation  to  those  who 
were  considered  the  most  deeply  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  the  Spirit.  Taking  what  is  called  the 
JVew-Light  doctrine,  as  the  rudiments  of  Divine  truth, 
they  proceeded  to  consider  the  nature  of  justification, 
reconciliation  to  God,  &c.  &c.,  concerning  which  I 
shall  state  a  few  particulars. 


48 

They  rejected,  as  a  dangerous  error,  the  doctrine  of 
justification  by  the  imputed  righteousness  of  Christ ; 
and  taught  that  no  one  could  be  justified  or  accepted 
of  God,  but  they  that  forsook  their  sins,  and  became 
personally  righteous  ; — that  no  one  could  be  pro- 
nounced just^  upon  the  principles  of  truth,  who  was 
not  so  in  reality ;  and  therefore  when  the  true  God 
accepteth  any,  as  righteous  in  his  sight,  it  must  be  such 
as  are  in  reality  so.  Reconciliation,  or  atonement^  is 
to  be  at  one  :  Christ  is  at  one  with  God,  we  must  be 
at  one  with  Christ.  God  is  unchangeably  holy,  just 
and  good ;  and  therefore  cannot  be  reconciled,  or  at 
one,  w^ith  an  unholy,  unjust  and  wicked  sinner.  Man 
in  his  natural  state  is  unjust,  unholy  and  wicked  ; 
therefore  God  and  man,  in  his  natural  state,  are  at 
tioo^s,  not  at  one,  Christ  the  mediator,  came  into  the 
world  to  atone  us  to  God,  not  to  reconcile  or  atone  God 
to  us.  For  if  God  is  reconciled  or  atoned  to  man  in 
his  natural  state,  it  must  be  by  becoming  unholy,  un- 
just and  wicked  :  this  cannot  be ;  therefore  the  work 
of  reconciliation  or  atonement  is  to  make  man  like 
God,  holy,  just  and  good,  and  for  this  purpose  Christ 
came  into  the  world.  There  is  wrath  and  enmity  to 
be  taken  out  of  the  way  ;  this  wrath  and  enmity  never 
was  in  God,  for  God  is  love ;  therefore  it  must  be  in 
man,  and  to  remove  it  out  of  man,  the  blood  of  Christ 
was  shed  ;  and  to  man  that  blood  must  be  applied,  not 
to  the  throne  of  God's  justice,  which  is  unchangeably 
holy,  just  and  good.  Therefore  Christ  dying  for  sin, 
was  to  condemn  and  destroy  it,  not  in  the  room  and 
stead  of  it,  that  it  might  live. — (See  Stone'' s  letters^  p. 
15  and  20.) 

According  to  the  schismatic  doctrine,  the  vicarious 
sufferings  of  Jesus  Christ,  in  the  room  and  stead  of 
sinners,  that  ihey  might  live,  was  only  a  cunningly 
devised  fable,  destitute  of  foundation,  either  in  com- 
mon sense  and  reason,  or  the  Scriptures  of  truth — that 
proxy  sufferings  were  inadmissible  by  any  just  law, 
either  of  God  or  man,  as  it  would  be  wholly  unrea- 


49 

sonable  and  unlawful,  to  hang  a  civil  honest  man  in 
room  and  stead  of  a  murderer,  that  the  latter  might  be 
delivered  out  of  the  hands  of  justice,  and  set  at  liberty. 
And  according  to  the  unchangeable  law  of  God,  the 
soul  that  sinneth  it  shall  die.  From  whence  it  was 
plainly  deduced,  that  there  could  be  no  reconciliation 
or  atonement  to  God,  until  the  evil  spirit,  which  is 
prone  to  evil,  and  that  continually,  was  overcome,  and 
rooted  out  of  God's  creature  ;  and  as  soon  as  that  spirit 
which  is  opposed  to  the  law,  was  extinct,  sin  which 
is  a  transgression  of  the  law,  ceased  of  course,  and  the 
soul  which  came  from  God,  became  reconciled  and  at 
one  with  him — and  hence  followed  the  necessity  of 
the  sufferings  of  Christ  being  commensurate  to  the 
atonement,  and  glory  that  should  follow.  He  set  us 
an  example  that  we  should  walk  in  his  steps  ;  he  suf- 
fered in  the  flesh,  that  we  might  arm  ourselves  with 
the  same  mind.  Thus  Stone's  letters  on  atonement 
p.  33.  ''  It  is  evident  that  Christians  according  to 
their  measure,  have  fellowship  in  the  sufferings  of 
Christ,  and  are  filling  up  that  which  is  behind  of  his 
afflictions,  in  their  body."  Upon  this  principle  it  was 
evident  that  all  who  were  in  Christ  suffered  with  him^ 
that  they  might  be  glorified  together,  witnessed  the  suf- 
ferings of  Christy  1  Pet.  v.  1.,  rejoiced  in  his  sufferings 
(ch.  iv.  13.)  That  when  the  glory  should  be  revealed, 
they  might  be  glad  with  exceeding  joy.  The  suffer- 
ings of  Christ  abounded  in  Paul,  which  wereeffectual 
to  the  Corinthians  ;  not  to  exempt  them  from  sufferings, 
but  in  \he\Y  enduring  the  same  sufferings  which  he  also 
suffered,  (see  2  Cor.  i.  5.  6.)  But  the  greatest  depth 
of  the  Schismatic  doctrine  lay  in  the  reciprocal  union, 
which  they  supposed  must  exist  between  Jesus  Christ 
and  his  followers,  which  rendered  both  the  sufferings 
and  glorification,  identical  in  each,  and  left  no  room 
for  the  disciple  to  suffer  in  the  room  and  stead  of  his 
Lord,  any  more  than  for  the  Lord  to  suffer  in  the  room 
and  stead  of  the  disciple  ;  and  therefore  if  the  suffer- 
ings of  Christ  abounded  in  the  disciples  of  Jesus,  thp 

5 


50 

disciple  did  not  suffer  in  the  room  and  stead  of  Christ, 
but  very  Christ  suffered  in  him,  the  same  as  in  his 
master.  Hence  they  taught  that  all  that  were  born  of 
Christ,  and  united  to  him,  were  true  Christ,  as  much 
as  fire  produced  by  fire,  is  very  fire,  of  fire ;  and  as 
Christ  proceeded  from  the  Father,  and  was  true  God 
of  the  true  God,  so  all  that  were  born  of  the  Divine  na- 
ture, and  seed  of  heaven,  were  perfect  in  one.  Thus 
Stone,  in  his  reply,  p.  19.  '*  It  is  very  evident  that 
the  seed  of  Abraham  are  all  believers.  These  believ- 
ers are  one,  therefore  not  called  seeds,  but  seed.  For 
there  is  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond 
nor  free,  there  is  neither  male  nor  female,  for  ye  are 
all  one  in  Christ  Jesus,  Gal.  iii.  28.  For  as  the  body 
is  one,  and  hath  many  members,  and  all  the  members 
of  that  one  body,  being  many,  are  one  body,  so  also 
is  Christ,  1  Cor.  xii.  12.  Hence  hy  Christ,  in  this 
verse,  the  apostle  means  believers  who  are  in  Christ. 
And  so  I  understand  Gal.  iii.  16.  And  to  thy  seed, 
which  is  Christ,  i.  e.  to  all  believers."  See  also  Ob- 
servations on  Church  Government,  page  14.  Upon 
the  strength  of  this  article  of  faith,  the  Schismatics  were 
so  abundant  in  their  profession  of  having  Christ  in 
them  and  being  full  of  God,  both  the  Father  and  the 
Son.  Not  that  they  held  as  an  established  principle, 
that  a  real,  hypostatical  union  existed  between  them 
and  God  ;  but  a  hypothetical  or  supposed  union,  de- 
pending on  their  faith  ; — as  all  things  are  possible  to 
him  that  believeth.  The  possibility  of  standing  in  so 
near  a  relation  to  God,  afforded  a  lively  anticipation 
of  it  to  the  mind,  while  in  the  full  exercise  of  believ- 
ing ;  but  still  left  room  for  the  following  prayer  : — 

"  Come,  Father,  Son  and  Holy  Ghost, 
*       And  seal  me  thine  abode  : 
Lei  all  I  am  in  thee  be  lost ; 
Let  all  be  lost  in  God." 

Were  a  swine  capable  of  believing  that  it  was  pos- 


51 

sible  for  him  to  be  lost  and  swallowed  up  in  man,  and 
be  incorporated  with  the  human  body,  and  become 
one  with  it ;  the  anticipation  of  such  an  exalted  state 
might  be  very  pleasing  to  the  mind  of  that  base  ani- 
mal. But  should  he  imagine  that  man  would  form 
the  union  by  swallowing  him  alive,  just  as  he  was, 
he  must  find  himself  greatly  mistaken  in  the  issue. 
Now,  considering  the  great  disparity  between  sinful 
man  and  God,  it  need  not  be  thought  strange,  if  those 
who  express  the  above  prayer  with  great  fervor  should 
be  as  greatly  disappointed  when  the  process  is  enter- 
ed upon,  by  which  the  all -important  union  is  effected. 
The  Schismatics,  however,  considered  this  union  to 
have  taken  place.,  first  of  all  in  the  person  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Hence  many  importantquestions  were  agitated 
concerning  this  extraordinary  person — the  end  of  his 
mission  into  the  world — the  nature  of  the  work  which 
was  given  him  to  do — and  how  that  work  is  to  affect 
us,  &c.  Upon  which  different  hypotheses  were  form- 
ed, according  to  the  proficiency  of  each,  in  the  JVew- 
Light  and  the  Schismatic  spirit,  V.  It  was  agreed  on 
all  hands,  that  God  w^as  unchangeable,  and  needed 
not  the  sufferings  and  death  of  his  Son,  to  render  him 
propitious  to  the  soul  of  any. — That  it  was  through 
love,  that  he  sent  his  Son  into  the  world — That  sin  is 
the  only  thing  in  the  universe  that  he  hates — that  he 
would  have  all  men  saved  from  it;  and  that  to  effect 
this,  Christ  made  his  appearance  in  the  world.  But 
that  innocence  and  love  could  not  suffer  and  die,  in 
the  room  and  stead  of  guilt  and  enmity.  Nor  could 
the  imputation  of  innocence  andpurity,  to  the  guilty 
and  vile,  render  them  happy  in  the  presence  of  heav- 
enly beings,  of  a  contrary  nature.  From  these  pre- 
mises it  was  concluded  and  taught  by  some,  that  man 
by  departing  from  God,  lost  the  true  knowledge  of 
his  character,  and  fell  into  a  gross  mistake,  in  conclud- 
ing that  he  was  their  enemy.  That  Christ  came  to 
reveal  the  true  character  of  God  in  order  to  convince 
sinners  of  their  mistake,  and  prove  to  them  that  God 


52 

was  their  friend.    That  he  had  s?ifficiently  established 
this  point  by  submitting  to  be  killed   by  them,  rather 
than  oppose,  or  hurt   them.     Upon   this   hypothesis, 
the  Saviour   was   supposed   to  die  in   the  room   and 
stead  of   the  wicked   in   a  sense,  somewhat  different 
from  the  former.     Inasmuch  as  the  parties  must  meet, 
and  the  sinner  looked  upon   God   as   his   enemy,  and 
was  determined  either  to  kill  or  be  killed,  the  love  of 
Christ  to  the  wicked  was   so  great  that  he  chose  to 
be  killed  rather  than  kill.     And  this  was  supposed 
to  constitute  the  gospel^  the  glad   tidings y  viz  :    That 
although    wicked     sinners    killed   their    best   friend 
through  a  mistake  yet  he  freely  forgave  them.  When 
any   believe  this  they  repent^  and*  are  reconciled  to 
God  as  their  friend,  who  before   they  thought  to  be 
their  enemy.     This  gospel  method  of  salvation  was 
however  by  no  means  established,  as  a  matter  of  com- 
mon faith.     The  generality  still  believed  mankind  to 
be  under   a   deeper  .disorder,   than   such  a  mistake. 
For  after  that  they  knew   God,  they  glorified  him  not 
as  God.     Jind  did  not  love  to  ret  aim,  God  in  their  know- 
ledge.    Besides,  if  there  is  such  implacable  enmity, 
between  the  sinner  and  God,  that  one  or  other  must 
die  ;  and  if  the  enmity  is  found  in  the  sinner,  he  most 
certainly  be  in  the  wrong  ;  therefore  unless  the  Deity 
sacrifice  his  law  and  justice,  as  well  as  his  life,  out  of 
love  to  the  sinner,  death  and  suffering  must  inevitably 
seize  upon  him  that  is  in  the  wrong.     Moreover  if 
the  sinner  is  at  enmity  against  God,  whatever  the 
cause  be  ;  if  God  is  reconciled  to  him  in   that  state, 
he  must  be  at  enmity   against   himself.     Therefore 
upon  this  principle,  should   the  sinner  conclude  that 
God  was  reconciled  to  him,  had  nothing  against  him, 
overlooked  his  enmity  and  disobedience,  &e.,  the  last 
error  must  be  worse  than  the  first.     So  that  from  the 
propositions  first  laid  down,  another  conclusion  was 
drawn  more  consistent,  and  which  was  more  univer- 
sally embraced,  viz  :  that  the   coming  of  Christ  into 
the  world  wa,s  to  make  an  end  of  sin^  and  unless  we 


53 

are  wholly  delivered  from  it,  we  can  never  see  the 
face  of  God  in  peace. 

VI.  Pursuant  to  this  conclusion,  the  first  of  those 
new  satellites  which  the  Presbytery  of  Springfield  had 
recommended   as  a  light  to  the  churches,  began  to 
shine  out  in  tlie  month  of  June,  1804;  and  from  the 
effulgence  of  the  great  luminary,  around  whose  cen- 
tre the  Schismatic  body  revolved,  proposed  to  obvi- 
ate every  difficulty,  that  had  been  attached   to  those 
intricate  subjects,  and  lay  open  the  whole  matter, 
plain  to  the  weakest  capacity.     But  however  plain 
and  obvious  the  new  divinity   might  have  appeared 
to  him,  or  to  others  at  the  time  it  was  divulged  ;  cer- 
tain it   is,  that  none  but  Schismatics,  federalists,  or 
such  as  unequivocally  maintain  the  sacred    rights  of 
conscience   could   ever   have   admitted  the  opening 
of  sentiments  so  singular  with  impunity.     But  under 
the  auspicious   wings  of  the  American  Eagle,  which, 
shades   the   honest   inquirer    after    truth,    from   the 
rage  of  Popes  and   despots,  the  reader  may  calmly 
peruse   those   singular   propositions,   which  were   so 
generally  ascribed  to  a  disorder  in  the  brain,  in  which 
the  following  ideas  were  included  : 

^*Man  was  at  first  createcf  in  the  nature  and  image 
of  God  :  but  being  tempted,  and  giving  way  to  the 
serpent,  the  nature  of  the  serpent  was  begotten  in  him, 
which  is  an  earthly,  sensual,  and  devilish  nature,  di- 
rectly opposite  to  the  nature  or  God.  .This  diabolical 
nature,  however  contrary  to  the  Divine,  in  which  man 
was  created,  could  not  overcome  or  extinguish  it ; 
hence  there  remained  in  the  same  person  two  oppo- 
site natures,  at  enmity  and  war,  the  one  against  the 
other ;  the  one  denominated  the  seed  of  the  woman  ; 
the  other  the  seed  of  the  serpent. 

2.  Adam  begat  a  son  in  his  own  likeness  a  double- 
minded  man ;  and  in  this  situation  the  whole  human 
race  were  propagated  ;  and  thus  they   remained,  till 

5* 


54 

Christ  macfe  his  appearance,  and  began  the  work  of 
redemption. 

3.  Jesus  Christ  the  Redeemer  assumed  in  the  body 
of  his  flesh,  the  same  diabolical  nature  which  was  in 
all  other  men — was  made  in  all  points  like  unto  his 
brethren  whom  he  came  to  redeem — had   two  distinct 
and    opposite   natures   residing   in  his   one  body,  of 
which  the  one  was  true  God,  the   other,  very   Devil. 
This   diabolical   nature  which  worked  in    the  man 
(and  not  some  other  being   outwardly  visible,)  tried 
and  tempted  hinij  to  seek  temporal  riches  and  honors, 
to   convert  the  stones  into  bread,  and   east   himself 
down  from  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple,  in  order  thai 
he  himself  n\\ghi  be  acknowledged  and  adored,  as  the 
coming  Messiah.     This  wicked  nature  being  denied 
of  all  its  demands,  crossed  in  all  its  cravings,  gave 
him  up  for  a  season  to  the  ministry  of  angels,  but 
afterwards  rallied  its  vanquished   powers,  and   strug- 
gled for  life  and  victory  against  the  Son  of  God,  but 
was  again  overcome  and  held  to  the  painful  and  ig- 
nominious cross  y  on   which  he  was  worn  out,  wasted 
and  consumed,  as  by  a  lingering  fire,  until  he  was 
forced  in  his  last  convulsive  agonies,  to  cry  aloud  and 
yield  up  the  invisible  and  immortal  spirit.     Thus  the 
work  of  final  redemption  was  finished,  and  the  second 
man   arose,  and   ascended    out  of  that   lawless   and 
wicked  nature  into  which  the  first  fell.     Then  the 
serpent's  head  got  a  finished  bruising ;  and  the  first- 
born  of  the  woman's  seed   put  everlastingly  out  of 
his  reach,     According  to  this  transaction  all  the  types 
figures,  and  allegories,  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  par- 
ables in  the  New,  are   to  be  understood.     Thus  Cain 
and   Abel,  Ishmael  and  Isaac,  Esau  and  Jacob,  the 
sumptuous  glutton  and  Lazarus  the  beggar,  the  fool- 
ish and   wise  virgins,  &c.   are  to  be   considered   as 
types   of  these  two  distinct  natures  :  The   one  elect, 
the  other  reprobate  ;  the  one   beloved,  the  other   ha- 
ted ;  the  one  and  his  offering  accepted,  the  other  re- 
jected. 


55 

Agxiin,  the  Divine  nature,  or  seed  of  the  woman 
which  was  chosen,  redeemed  exalted  and  glorified  in 
the  person  of  Christ  Jesus  is  denominated  in  Scripture, 
the  spirit — the  inner  man — the  new  man,  ^c.  Its  op- 
posite, the  old  man,  the  man  of  sin — the  son  of  perdi- 
tion — the  flesh  which  lusteth  against  the  spirit — the  car- 
nal mind — that  wicked  which  sitteth  in  the  temple  of 
God  and  defiles  it,  which  in  the  work  of  redemption 
must  lift  up  his  eyes  in  torment,  be  punished  with  ev- 
erlasting destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord,  be 
consumed  and  destroyed,  and  go  into  final  perdi- 
tion. 

"  This  wicked  which  is  one,  and  the  same  in  all 
men,  being  overcome  and  destroyed  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ,  laid  a  foundation  for  the  gospel  to  be 
preached  to  every  creature  under  heaven,  and  for  all 
to  look  and  hope  for  redemption,  at  his  final  appear- 
ing. That  it  was  necessary  that  this  gospel  should  be 
published  to  all  the  world,  before  a  full  end  of  that 
wicked  should  come.  By  this  gospel  he  was  bound, 
but  suffered  to  live  another  day,  or  thousand  years. 
This  thousand  years  is  now  expired,  and  the  period 
come  for  that  man  of  sin  to  be  finally  consumed,  from 
off  the  face  of  the  earth.  And  for  this  end,  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  poured  out  upon  the  people,  first  to  reveal, 
and  then  to  consume  this  wicked.^ ^  Such  were  the 
general  propositions  advanced  by  Malcham  Worley, 
in  the  summer  of  1804,  and  which  were  acceded  to, 
by  a  number  of  Schismatics,  who  were  considered 
foremost  in  the  JVew- Light. 

VII.  An  epitome  of  the  foregoing  doctrine  may  be 
seen  in  Stone's  Letters,  pp.  23,24,  in  which  are  the  fol- 
lowing expressions  :  "  From  whom  or  from  what  did 
Christ  redeem,  &c.  I  answer :  1st  from  the  devil, 
2d.  He  came  also  to  redeem  us  from  sin,  which  is  the 
same  as  to  redeem  us  from  the  devil.  Mankind  are 
represented  as  sold  under  sin,  serving  sin,  servants  to 
sin,  under  the  dominion  and  reign  of  sin,  &c.     Hence 


56 

it  is  plain  that  Christ  redeems  us  from  sin  or  from  all 
iniquity." 

"  I  now  inquire  what  was  the  price  given  for  our 
redemption?     The  blood  or  death  of  Christ  is,  every- 
where in  Scripture,  declared  to  be  the  price  given. 
Acts  xx.  28.  Rev.  v.  9,  &c.     It  may  now  be  asked, 
if  Christ,   or  God  in  Christ,  redeems  from  the  devil 
and  sin?     And  if  he  gave  his  blood  as  the  ransom  or 
price,  who  got  the  price  1    The  apostle  to  the  Hebrews 
answers  : — Forasmuch  as  the  children  were  partakers  of 
fiesh  and  blood,  he  also  himself  likewise  took  part  of  the 
same,  that  through  death  he  might  destroy  him  that  had 
the  power  of  death,  that  is  the  devil.     Here  then  we 
see  that  the  devil  had  the  power  of  death  ;  and  he  got 
the  price,  which  was  the  death  of  Christ.     Then  was 
fulfilled  that  old  prophecy — I  will  put  enmity  between 
thee  and  the  woman,  and  between  thy  seed  and  her  seed  : 
It  shall  bruise  thy  head,  and  thou  shall  bruise  his  heel. 
Gen.  iii,  15."     This  particular  point,  ''  the  devil  get- 
ting the  price,"  was  combated  by  Dr.   Campbell,  in 
his  strictures  :  Whereupon  Brother  Stone  agreed  *'  to 
eat  these  dreadful  words  "  because  so  extremely  offen- 
sive to  the  Doctor,  and  the  occasion  of  a  wildness  of 
imagination  in  the  Calvinist  preachers   and  people. 
(See  Reply,  p.   55.)     But  neither  Dr.  Campbell   nor 
Brother  Stone  fully  understood  the  expression,  when 
they  agreed  that  it  should  be  eaten.     The  offence  of 
the  expression,  seemed  to  lie  in  giving  the  devil  some- 
thing that  was  precious  :  hence  the  Doctor's  objection, 
'^that  the  precious  blood  of  Christ  was  given  by  God 
to  the  devil  in  payment !"     That  "  God  was  so  mer- 
ciless, as  to  deliver  up  his  only  Son,  to  glut  the  malice 
of  a  blood-thirsty  demon  !"     That  "  the  Lamb  of  God 
was  immolated  on  the  altar  of  hell,"  &c.     But  had 
he  adverted  to  the  apostle's  idea,  quoted  by  Stone, 
viz.,  that  this  precious  blood  was  intended  to  destroy 
the  one  to  whom  it  was  given,  it  must  have  appeared 
more  consistent  for  the  devil  to  get  it,  than  the  justice 
of  God.     The  Doctor  would  not  be  so  unreasonable  as 


57 

to  give  a  dose  of  tartar  emetic  to  one  in  perfect  health, 
to  create  bile  on  his  stomach,  and  thereby  at-one  him 
to  the  bilious.  He  knows  the  precious  tartar  emetic 
(which  is  the  very  essence  of  bile)  must  be  deposited 
in  the  bilious  bowels  of  his  patient,  in  order  to  collect 
into  union  with  itself  everything  there  of  its  own  na- 
ture and  carry  it  off  in  the  draught. 

Now  admitting  that  Christ  assumed  that  blood,  life 
or  nature,  in  which  all  mankind  lay,  separated  from 
God  ;  that  life  was  his,  and  he  had  a  right  to  do  with 
it  what  he  pleased  ;  and  although  it  was  endowed 
with  no  greater  excellence  in  him,  than  in  another 
considered  in  itself,  yet  it  might  be  denominated  pre- 
cious, from  the  use  which  he  made  of  it :  and  admit- 
ting that  he  gave  it  up  as  a  public  sacrifice,  made  a 
show  of  it  openly,  and  put  away  sin  by  the  sacrifice 
of  it,  the  Doctor  must  grant  that  Stone's  inference  that 
''the  devil  got  the  price,"  was  not  so  full  of  horror, 
as  he  at  first  imagined ;  and  consequently  it  must 
prove  a  very  strong  emetic  to  him  that  eats  it. 

VIII.  The  above  Schismatic  doctrine,  as  far  as  it 
was  opened  and  explained,  threatened  the  total  sub- 
version of  the  Calvinistic  system,  at  one  blow.  For 
upon  the  principle  that  sin  must  be  actually  destroyed, 
that  Christ  did  actually  assume,  overcome  and  destroy 
it,  and  that  the  same  battle  must  be  fought,  and  the 
same  victory  gained  by  all  who  are  born  of  God  ;  it 
follows  of  course,  that  proxy  sinning,  suffering,  obey- 
ing, dying,  rising,  reigning,  &c.,  are  the  proper  ef- 
fects of  a  disordered  brain.  And  moreover  if  it  was 
the  enmity  which  Christ  nailed  to  the  cross  and  took 
out  of  the  way,  and  the  Bevil  which  he  destroyed  by 
death,  the  hypostatical  union  of  two  distinct  natures 
in  the  Son  of  God  forever,  must  be  a  capital  mistake, 
and  all  the  worship  that  has  been  offered  to  him  upon 
such  a  faith,  must  have  conduced  to  the  dignity  and 
honor  of  that  spirit,  which  the  meek,  lowly,  and  self- 
denying  Saviour  foiled  upon  the  mount.     In  fine,  the 


'58 

Schismatics,  taking  it  for  granted  that  sin  was  the 
whole  occasion  of  two^s — That  Christ  came  to  destroy 
it — that  his  veracity  was  pledged  to  finish  the  work — 
and  that  the  time  of  the  promise  was  near  at  hand — 
expected,  in  whatever  way  the  work  should  he  effect- 
ed, the  day  would  soon  declare  it. 

Several  objections  were  raised  in  the  Schismatic  fra- 
ternity against  Brother  Worley's  manner  of  under- 
standing the  Scriptures  ;  the  most  particular  of  which 
was,  1st,  That  it  led  to  Universalism,  and  made  Christ 
the  Saviour  of  all  men  eventually,  as  well  as  officially: 
taking  it  for  granted,  that  either  in  the  plan  of  redemp- 
tion, or  the  execution  of  it,  God  has  distinguished  the 
souls  of  men  by  number  and  person.  And  2d,  That 
if  such  a  doctrine  was  established,  it  would  open  a 
wider  door  to  vice,  inasmuch  as  it  would  cut  off  at 
once  from  the  carnal  mind,  the  powerful  influence  of 
hope  and  fear  :  consequently  the  wicked  spirit  in  man 
would  become  more  violent,  and  sin  with  more  greed- 
iness, knowing  that  his  time  was  short.  But  as  all 
agreed,  that  they  were  only  yet  beginning  to  learn  the 
mysteries  of  the  Scripture  ;  and  each  one  had  a  right 
to  exercise  his  own  faith ;  and  walk  by  the  same  rule 
and  mind  the  same  thing,  whereunto  he  had  attained  ; 
the  investigation  of  these  mysterious  and  intricate 
points,  was  put  off  to  a  future  period  ;  and  the  churches 
went  on  harmoniously  in  the  first  principles  of  the 
JYew-Lighty  which  they  conceived  to  be  so  well  estab- 
lished, by  the  extraordinary  power  and  gifts  of  the 
Spirit.  I  shall  now  proceed  to  give  some  account  of 
their  particular  form  of  government,  manner  of  wor- 
ship, &c. 

IX.  It  has  been  before  observed,  that  they  constitut- 
ed by  a  vote,  which  considered  the  Scripture,  as  the 
only  written  oracle,  through  which  the  mind  of  God 
was  revealed  to  them.  And  in  order  to  this  general 
suffrage,  (in  which  the  body  of  the  people  at  large 
had  equal  privilege,)  every  claim  to  superiority,  (by  a 


59 

succession  of  church  offices)  had  been  laid  aside  ;  con- 
sequently the  power  of  government  was  considered  in 
the  body  of  the  people  thus  constituted.  This  new  ' 
republic,  under  the  standard  of  liberty  and  equality, 
and  invested  with  so  great  a  degree  of  light,  life  and 
power,  assumed  a  threatening  aspect  toward  the  little 
surrounding  kingdoms  which  had  long  been  weaken- 
ing each  other  by  civil  broils.  It  is  difficult  to  paint 
the  zeal  for  liberty,  and  just  indignation  against  the 
old  aristocratic  spirit,  which  glowed  through  every 
member  of  this  new  confederacy.  And  under  the  in- 
fluence of  this  warm  democratic  zeal,  these  churches 
soon  exhibited  an  appearance,  distinct  from  anything 
that  had  ever  been  seen.  The  following  minutes  of 
the  Church  at  Turtle  Creek  will  serve  to  illustrate  some 
of  the  particulars  of  their  proceedings. 

^'  April  21,  1804,  John  Miller,  Amos  Valentine, 
and  Joseph  Stout,  publicly  related  the  circumstances 
of  their  conversion,  w^ith  which  the  Church  was 
well  satisfied,  and  gave  them  the  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship, as  worthy  members  of  the  suffering  body  of 
Christ.  Samuel  Kimbel  informed  the  Church  with 
tears,  that  he  had  wounded  his  own  conscience,  and 
the  cause  of  God,  by  associating  with  the  wicked  in 
a  tavern,  and  tossing  a  dollar  for  whisky,  professed 
his  abhorrence  of  such  conduct,  and  his  determination 
in  future  to  be  more  guarded.  The  Church  was  satis- 
fied with  his  repentance,  and  agreed  that  the  offence 
be  forgiven." 

"  J.  F.  informed  the  Church,  that  he  had  been  over- 
taken in  a  quarrel,  in  which  he  suffered  anger  to  rise 
in  his  breast,  whereby  the  Holy  Spirit  was  grieved. 
Yet  as  he  did  not  manifest  that  the  leaven  was  purg- 
ed out  in  such  a  manner  as  to  feel  the  fellowship  of 
that  spirit  which  turns  the  other  cheek  to  the  smiter, 
loves  an  enemy  and  returns  blessing  for  cursing;  the 
Church  agreed  that  he  should  be  kept  on  suspense  till 
further  satisfaction  be  obtained." 

Observe,  it  was  upon  the  supposition  that  Christ 


60 

was  in  this  body  of  the  people,  that  transgressors 
came  forward  and  confessed  their  sins  ;  and  such  con- 
fessions were  not  considered  as  being  made  to  men, 
but  to  God  ;  and  the  forgiveness  to  proceed  from  that 
spirit,  which  was  at  one  with  the  Father  and  the  Son. 
In  this  mode  of  government,  the  republican  body 
was  filed  off  in  a  separate  capacity;  and  the  sur- 
rounding multitude  were  considered  belonging  to  a 
different  family  :  and  any  one  might  have  the  privi- 
lege of  coming  over,  confessing  their  wickedness, 
professing  their  repentance,  and  uniting  with  their 
spirit  as  far  as  they  choose^  And  the  way  was  as  free 
and  open,  for  any  to  change  sides  in  a  different  man- 
ner. These  churches  still  retained  the  use  of  the  sa- 
craments, but  from  the  change  which  had  taken  place 
in  the  ministry,  the  end  and  use  of  the  sacraments, 
were  very  differently  considered.  When  the  imputed 
righteousness  of  Christ,  the  satisfaction  made  to  jus- 
tice, in  behalf  of  the  sinner,  and  the  imputed  author- 
ity of  the  standing  clergy,  to  minister  in  the  name  of 
Christ  were  set  aside;  the  former  use  of  the  sacra- 
ments must  of  course  go  with  the  rest,  for  there  re- 
mained no  one  regularly  ordained  to  administer  them. 
It  may  be  inquired  whether  these  churches  did  not 
consider  themselves  authorized  to  ordain  ministers.  I 
answer  they  did  not,  as  appears  evident  from  the  ten- 
or of  their  faith  on  that  subject  as  stated  in  the  Ob- 
servations on  Church  Government^  as  well  as  from  the 
manner  in  which  they  acted  in  relation  to  that  im- 
portant matter.  The  farthest  that  they  went,  was  to 
express  their  satisfaction  with,  and  encourage  those 
who  they  believed  had  power  and  authority  given 
them  from  heaven,  as  appears  from  the  following 
minute,  dated  ''  Sept.  29th  1804.  The  Church  took 
into  consideration,  the  case  of  Brother  Worley,  rela- 
tive to  his  laboring  in  the  word.  He  was  examined 
as  to  his  soundness  in  the  faith,  with  which  examina- 
tion the  Church  was  satisfied^  and  he  was  encouraged 
to  exercise  his  talents,  in  public  exhortation,  as  Provi- 


61 

dence  might  call  and  direct.  The  Schismatics  had 
too  fresh  a  remembrance  of  the  sufferings  they  had 
underwent,  in  obtaining  liberty  from  the  reputed 
vicegerents  of  Christ,  acting  in  his  room  and  stead, 
to  allow  them  to  lay  hands  suddenly  on  any  one ; 
and  especially  as  they  conceived  it  necessary,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  should  be  given,  in  the  important  ar- 
ticle of  ordaining  a  true  minister  of  the  gospel. 

In  consequence  of  encouragement  from  the  repub- 
lican body,  there  were  certain  individuals  who  took 
the  lead  in  public  exercises,  which  leads  me  to  state 
some  of  the  peculiarities  of  their  worship. 

X.  From  their  general  faith,  that  God  and  Christ 
had  their  abode  in  the  soul  of  man ;  and  from  tliose 
inward  feelings  of  love  and  power,  which  they  occa- 
sionally felt,  through  the  medium  of  a  lively  faith, 
they  were  led  to  believe  that  whatever  exercise  was 
congruous-- t:04hat  inward  feeling,  and  had  a  tendency 
to  increase  it,' was  acceptable  to  God,  as  true  worship. 
Hence  by  giving  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  those 
who  were  admitted  into  the  community,  and  finding 
that  it  tended  to  increase  the  inward  workings  of  the 
Spirit ;  it  was  gradually  introduced  as  a  common  act 
of  worship,  in  concert  with  singing  hymns  and  spirit- 
ual songs.  The  whole  society,  old  and  young,  male 
and  female,  would  commonly  unite  in  this  mode  of 
worship  ;  and  taking  each  other  by  the  hand,  would 
shake  not  only  their  hands,  but  their  whole  bodies, 
like  one  churning,  with  such  violence  that  the  place 
would  seem  to  quiver  under  them.  This  they  called 
rejoicing,  and  in  this  worship  they  considered  it  the 
privilege  of  every  one  to  unite,  who  believed  the  new 
doctrine  of  atonement ;  according  to  an  observation  of 
Brother  Stone,  when  he  first  heard  that  doctrine  stated, 
viz.,  ''  that  if  these  things  were  established  as  truth, 
he  would  rejoice  forever."  Admitting  that  God  was 
love — could  not  be  changed — was  the  same  to  one 
soul   as  another — would    have  all   to  be   saved,  &c., 

6 


62 

nothing  remained  but  for  the  soul  to  love  God,  and 
rejoice  in  confident  hope  of  salvation,  and  manifest 
its  faith  and  confidence  by  every  such  bodily  exercise, 
as  had  a  loving  or  joyful  appearance.  The  JYew-Lights 
had  considered  it  presumption  to  perform  any  of  these 
bodily  exercises,  voluntarily,  into  which  they  were 
forced  by  a  supernatural  power  ;  but  this  kind  of  faith 
appeared  childish  to  the  Schismatics.  They  supposed 
that  whatever  God  moved  the  creature  to,  by  his  irre- 
sistible power,  must  be  acceptable  to  him.  And  there- 
fore it  was  their  privilege  to  do  voluntarily  what  was 
acceptable  to  God,  rather  than  to  be  once  in  a  while 
dragged  to  it,  and  the  rest  of  their  time  offer  up  such 
voluntary  worship  as  was  "  full  of  unbelief  and  sin," 
and  a  stench  in  the  nostrils  of  Jehovah. 

The  JYeW'Lights^  struck  down,  and  held  under  the 
power  of  death  for  a  time,  then  raised  up  as  in  a  new 
world  of  light  and  vision,  and  carried  away  with  such 
raptures  of  joy,  could  not  possibly  conceal  their  con- 
version. Such  a  conversion,  and  way  of  manifesting 
it,  however  acceptable  it  might  be  to  God,  as  being 
the  effect  of  his  irresistible  power  ;  yet,  the  Schismatics 
conceived  it  to  be  more  acceptable  to  God  (and  not 
without  good  reason)  for  one  who  was  convinced  of 
sin,  and  had  turned  from  it,  to  rise  up  in  the  assembly 
of  those  who  were  like-minded,  testify  his  views  and> 
feelings,  and  declare  his  intentions  boldly  and  volun- 
tarily. And  again  if  he  was  overtaken  with  a  fault, 
if  it  should  be  so  small  a  thing  as  tossing  a  dollar  for 
whisky,  or  suffering  a  little  anger  to  arise  in  his  breast, 
that  he  voluntarily  confess  it  in  the  open  light,  and 
profess  his  abhorrence  of  it.  There  must  appear  a 
very  marked  difference  between  this  worship,  and  that 
in  which  the  sinner  was  overtaken  with  the  power  of 
God,  and  constrained  to  do  what  he  did  not  love,  and 
might  afterwards  excuse  himself,  that  he  could  not 
help  it,  and  still  claim  his  union  with  the  world,  by  a 
voluntary  profession  that  he  was  yet  a  sinner,  prone 
to  evil,  no  better  than  any  other ;  and  all  that  distin- 


63 

guished  him  from  others,  was  the  lighting  down  of  a 
sovereign  power  upon  him  which  he  could  not  avoid. 
The  Schismatics  conceived  they  were  worshiping  God 
to  acceptance,  while  relating  their  conversion,  express- 
ing their  abhorrence  of  sin,  and  singing  spiritual  songs 
to  that  effect — "  I  shall  be  holy  here  " — shaking  hands 
and  shuddering  with  indignation  against  their  soul- 
enernies — crying  out  for  final  deliverance  from  them. 
''  Make  me  Saviour,  what  thou  art :  live  thyself,  with- 
in my  heart. '^ — Leaping  and  skipping  voluntarily,  in 
the  joyful  hope — "  Then  the  world  shall  always  see, 
Christ  the  holy  child  in  me."     So  that  the  principal 
thing  that  distinguished  the  Schismatic  worship  from 
that  of  the  JYew-Lights,  was  their  taking  the  privilege 
of  exhibiting  by  a  bold  faith,  what  others  were  moved 
to  by  a  blind  impulse.     This  they  considered  a  great 
improvement,  growth  and  advancement  in  the  spirit 
of  the  revival.     And  upon  this  principle,  the  volunta- 
ry exercise  of  dancing  was  introduced  as  the  worship 
of  God;  by  Brother  Thompson  and  some  others  who 
were  forward  in  promoting  the  grand  Schism.     Al- 
though this  singular  worship  was  practiced  voluntarily 
with  a  degree  of  formality,  yet  it  was  not  introduced  in 
a  formal  way ;  but  by  following  up  and  improving 
those  operations  which  at  first  irresistibly  forced  them 
into  that  exercise.     At  the  spring  sacrament  at  Turtle- 
Creek  in  1804,  Brother  Thompson  had  been  constrained 
just  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  to  go  to  dancing,  and 
for  an  hour  or  more  to  dance  in  a  regular  manner 
round  the  stand,  all  the  while  repeating  in  a  low  tone 
of  voice—"  This  is  the  Holy  Ghost— Glory  !"     But  it 
was  not  till  the  ensuing  fall,  or  beginning  of  the  win- 
ter, that  the  Schismatics  began  to  encourage  one  an- 
other to  praise  God  in  the  dance,  and  unite  in  that  ex- 
ercise ;  justly  believing  that  it  was  their  privilege  to 
rejoice  before  the  Lord,  and ^o  forth  in  the  dances  of 
them  that  make  merry. 

However,  notwithstanding  the  Schismatics  aimed  at 
that  worship  which  should  be  expressive  of  uniform 


64 

and  continual  joy  :  Yet  they  were  far  from  attaining 
it ;  and  at  least  the  one  half  of  their  exercises  were  of 
a  contrary  nature ;  some  of  a  voluntary,  and  others  of 
an  involuntary  nature. 

Among  their  voluntary  acts  of  worship,  were  the 
general  confession  that  they  were  sinners — rebuking, 
reproving  and  laboring  to  reclaim  their  fellows,  who 
were  more  notoriously  v/icked  than  the  rest.  Some 
praying  to  God  to  sanctify  their  corrupt  natures,  &C.5 
and  others  praying  against  their  prayers.  This  kind 
of  praying-match  was  a  very  common  Schismatic  ex- 
ercise. They  considered  it  contrary  to  their  federal 
constitution,  for  one  to  attack  another  openly  by  any 
supposed  authority  ;  and  therefore  they  bad  recourse 
to  the  Spirit ;  and  by  the  brightest,  boldest,  and  loud- 
est gift  of  prayer,  the  cause  was  commonly  decided. 
In  this  way  they  generally  settled  their  controversies 
of  every  kind.  One  would  begin  to  preach  or  exhort, 
and  if  his  doctrine  was  judged  unsound  or  uninterest- 
4ng,  he  would  be  presently  matched  with  a  prayer  ; 
and  whichever  collected  the  greatest  warmth,  and 
manifested  the  most  lively  sensation  of  soul,  gained 
the  victory,  and  interested  the  general  shout  on  that 
side. 

But  there  was  moreover  in  the  Schismatic  worship 
a  species  of  exercises  of  an  involuntary  kind,  which 
seemed  to  have  been  substituted  by  the  Great  Spirit, 
in  the  room  of  the  falling,  &c.,  which  had  been  among 
the  JYew-Lights.  The  principal  of  these,  were  the 
rolling  exercises^  the  jerks  and  the  harks.  1.  The 
rolling  exercise  which  consisted  in  being  cast  down  in 
a  violent  manner,  doubled  with  the  head  and  feet  to- 
gether, and  rolled  over  and  over  like  a  wheel,  or 
stretched  in  a  prostrate  manner,  turned  swiftly  over 
and  over  like  a  log.  This  was  considered  very  de- 
basing and  mortifying,  especially  if  the  person  was 
taken  in  this  manner  through  the  mud,  and  sullied 
therewith  from  head  to  foot. 

2,  Still  more  demeaning  and  mortifying  were  the 


65 

jerks*     Nothing  in  nature  could  better  represent  this 
strange  and  unaccountable  operation,  than  for  one  to 
goad  another,  alternately  on  every  side,  with  a  piece 
of  red  hot  iron.     The  exercise  commonly  began  in  the 
head    which  would  fly  backward  and  forward,  and 
from  side  to  side,  with  a  quick  jolt,  which  the  person 
would  naturally  labor  to  suppress,  but  in  vain ;  and 
the  more  any  one  labored  to  stay  himself^  and  be  sober, 
the   more   he   staggered,  and   the   more  rapidly   his 
twitches  increased.     He  must  necessarily  go  as  he  was 
stimulated,  whether  with  a  violent  dash  on  the  ground 
and  bounce  from  place  to  place  like  a  foot-ball,  or  hop 
round,  with  head,  limbs  and   trunk,  twitching   and 
jolting  in  every  direction,  as  if  they  must  inevitably 
fly  asunder.     And  how  such  could  escape  without  in- 
jury, was  no  small   wonder   to  spectators.     By  this 
strange  operation  the  human  frame  was  commonly  so 
transformed  and  disfigured,  as  to  lose  every  trace  of 
its  natural  appearance.     Sometimes  the  head  would 
be  twitched  right  and  left,  to  a  half  round,  with  such 
velocity,  that  not  a  feature  could  be  discovered,  but 
the  face  appear  as  much  behind  as  before ;  and  in  the 
quick  progressive  jerk,  it  would  seem  as  if  the  person 
was  transmuted  into  some  other  species  of  creature. 
Head  dresses  were  of  little  account  among  the  female 
jerkers.     Even  handkerchiefs  bound  tight  round  the 
head,  would  be  flirted  off  almost  with  the  first  twitch, 
and  the  hair  put  into  the  utmost  confusion,  this  was  a 
very  great  inconvenience,  to  redress  which  the  gener- 
ality were  shorn,  though  directly  contrary  to  their  con- 
fession of  faith.     Such  as  were  seized  with  the  jerks, 
were  wrested  at  once,  not  only  from  under  their  own 
government,  but  that  of  every  one  else,  so  that  it  was 
dangerous  to  attempt  confining  them,  or  touching  them 
in  any  manner,  to  whatever  danger  they  were  exposed ; 
yet  few  were  hurt,  except  it  were  such  as  rebelled 
against  the  operation,  through  wilful  and  deliberate 
enmity,  and  refused  to  comply  with  the  injunctions 
which  it  came  to  enforce. 

6* 


66 

3.  The  last  possible  grade  of  mortification  seemed 
to  be  couched  in  the  barks^  which  frequently  accom- 
panied the  jerks  ;  nor  were  they  the  most  mean  and 
contemptible  characters,  who  were  the  common  vic- 
tims of  this  disgracing"  operation  ;  but  persons  who 
considered  themselves  in  the  foremost  rank,  possessed 
of  the  highest  improvements  of  human  nature  ;  and 
yet  in  spite  of  all  the  efforts  of  nature,  both  men  and 
women  would  be  forced  to  personate  that  animal, 
whose  name,  appropriated  to  a  human  creature  is 
counted  the  most  vulgar  stigma — forced  I  say,  for  no 
argument  but  force,  could  induce  any  one  of  polite 
breeding  in  a  public  company,  to  take  the  position  of 
a  canine  beast,  move  about  on  all-fours,  growl,  snap 
the  teeth,  and  bark  in  so  personating  a  manner,  as  to 
set  the  eyes  and  ears  of  the  spectator  at  variance.  It 
was  commonly  acknowledged  by  the  subjects  of  these 
exercises,  that  they  were  laid  upon  them,  as  a  chas- 
tisement for  disobedience,  or  a  stimulus  to  incite  them 
to  some  duty  or  exercise,  to  which  they  felt  opposed. 
Hence  it  was  very  perceivable  that  the  quickest  meth- 
od to  find  releasement  from  the  jerks  and  barks,  was 
to  engage  in  the  voluntary  dance  ;  and  such  as  refused, 
being  inwardly  moved  thereto  as  their  duty  and  privi- 
lege, had  to  bear  these  aflHicting  operations,  from 
month  to  month,  and  from  year  to  year,  until  they 
wholly  lost  their  original  design,  and  were  converted 
into  a  badge  of  honor,  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
first  outward  mark  of  human  guilt.  Although  these 
strange  convulsions  served  to  overawe  the  heaven-dar- 
ing spirits  of  the  wicked  and  stimulate  the  halting 
Schismatic  to  the  performance  of  many  duties,  disa- 
greeable to  the  carnal  mind  ;  yet  in  all  this,  their  de- 
sign was  not  fully  comprehended,  something  doubtful 
and  awful,  was  thought  to  be  figured  out  thereby, 
which  would  suddenly  fall  with  pain  upon  the  head 
of  the  wicked;  and  nothing  was  more  calculated  to 
excite  such  fearful  apprehensions,  than  the  expres- 
sions that  were  sometimes  mixed   with   the  bow  wow 


67 

wow,  such  as  every  knee  shall  bow,  and  every   tongue 
confess,  Sfc,  ;  at  least  these  kind  of  exercises  served  to 
show,  that  the  foundation  was  not  yet  laid,  for  unre- 
mitting joy,  and  that  such  as  attached  themselves  to 
this  people  must  unite  with  them  as  a  body  destined 
to  suffer  with   Christ  before   they  could   reign  with 
him.     But  however  great  the  sufferings  of   the  Schis- 
matics— from  a  sense  of  their  own  remaining  depravi- 
ty— the  burden  and  weight  of  distress  they  bore  for 
a  lost  world — the   hatred,  contempt,  and  persecuting 
rage  of  all  around  them — together  Avith  the  spasmo- 
dic writhings  of  body  with  which   they  were  so  gene- 
rally exercised  ;  yet  they  were  not  a  little  alleviated 
by  the  many  extraordinary  signs  and  gifts  of  the  Spir- 
it, through  which  they  were  encouraged  to  look  for 
brighter  days.     Among  these  innumerable  signs   and 
gifts,  may  be  ranked.  The  spirit  of  prophesy — Being 
caught  up  or  carried  away  in  this  spirit,  and  remain- 
ing  for    hours   insensible   of  anything   in   nature — 
Dreaming  of  dreams — Seeing  visions — Hearing  un- 
speakable words — The  fragrant  smell  and   delightful 
singing  in  the  breast.     This  spirit  of  prophe^sy  is  par- 
ticularly worthy  of  notice  ;  which  had  its  foundation 
in  a  peculiar  kind  of  faith,  and   grew   up  under  the 
special   influence   of  visions,  dreams,  &c.     The  first 
thing  was  to  believe  what  God  had  promised,  with  an 
appropriating  faith — cast  anchor    upon  the  thing  pro- 
mised though  unseen  ;  and  hold  the  soul  to  the  pur- 
suit of  it,  in  defiance  of  all  the  tossing  billows  of  un- 
belief.    This  faith  so  contrary  to  the   carnal  heart, 
they  concluded  must  be  of  God.     It  must  be  the  Spir- 
it of  Christ,  or  God  working  in   the  creature,  both   to 
will  and  to  do.     What  is  the  promise,  but  the  purpose 
of  God  ?     And  what  is  the  purpose  of  my  soul  (says 
the  Schismatic)  but  to  have  the  thing  promised.     Has 
God  promised? — he  cannot  lie :  Has  he  purposed  1 — he 
cannot  alter  :  Therefore  what  his  Spirit  leads   me  to, 
I  shall  possess,  as  certain  as  God  is  stronger  than   the 
devil.      Upon  this  principle,  all  were  encouraged  to 


68 

believe  the  promise,  and  immediately  set  out,  in  co- 
operation with  the  promiser ;  and  in  proportion  to 
the  strength  of  their  faith,  to  predict  the  certain  ac- 
complishment of  that  purpose  of  God  which  they  felt 
within  them. 

Notwithstanding  this  faith  furnished   a  very  bold 
foundation  for  predicting  what  should  come  to  pass  ; 
yet  it  was  far  from  comprehending  the  whole  of  that 
evidence,  upon  which  the  Schismatics  looked,  for  the 
purpose  and  promise  of  God  to  be  fulfilled.     It  was 
very  common  for  them  to  be  caught  up,  or   carried 
away  by  the  same  spirit  of  faith  ;    and  be  shown  in 
bright  and  heavenly  visions,  the  indisputable  reality 
of  what  they  before  contemplated  in  a  simple  belief. 
In   those  ecstasies,  some  would  seem   to  desert  the 
body,  and  leave  it  for  hours  in  a  state  almost  or  quite 
inanimate.     Others  in  their  transports,  would    seem 
to  use  their  clay  tenement,  as   a  kind  of  instrument 
to  sign  out,  and  represent  to  the  spectators,  what  the 
active  spirit  saw  in  open  vision,  independent  of  any 
of  its  mean  organs.     Of  these  extraordinary  visions, 
nothing  can  be  communicated  here,  beyond   an  im- 
perfect hint;  and  whether  they  ever  be  correctly  stat- 
ed on  paper  is  a  matter  of  doubt.     Their  general 
import  respected  things  that  were  darkly  hinted  at 
in  the  Scriptures,  and   hard  to  be  understood  ;  such 
things  as  were  especially  to  take  place   in  the   latter 
days.     And  hence  notwithstanding  they  had  adopted 
the  Scriptures   under   the   notion  of  a  confession  of 
faith  ;  yet  it  was   not  immediately  to  the  Scriptures 
they  applied  for  light,  but  to  that  transporting  Spirit, 
which  opened  clearly  to  the  mind,  those  mysterious 
things  recorded  in   Scripture ;  which  the  wisest  men 
upon  earth,  without  the  Spirit,  could  not  understand. 
See  the  letter  to  Synod,  published  in  Stone's  reply,  p. 
63,  of  which  the  following  is  an  extract.     "  We  view 
Christ  as  the  only  centre  of  union,  and  Love  the  only 
bond.     Let  us  labor   after  this  spirit,  and  when  we 
obtain  it,  then  we  shall  all  be  united  in  one  body. 


69 

*  *  *  Some  are  groaning-  for  the  wounds  of  the 
Presbyterian  cause;  some  for  the  Methodist;  some 
for  the  Baptist,  &c. ;  eacli  believing  that  it  is  the  cause 
of  Christ  for  which  they  are  groaning.  And  some 
are  as  heartily  groaning  for  the  wounds  of  the  Chris- 
tian cause,  without  respect  to  names  or  parties.  If 
we  should  unite  our  groans  and  cries  to  the  Father 
of  our  mercies  for  our  general  release,  and  the  coming" 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom  with  power,  God  would  hear 
and  answer  us.  O  let  us  unite  in  the  common  cause 
******  Then  will  Zion  shake  herself  from  the 
dust,  shine  forth  as  the  sun  in  his  brightness,  and  be 
terrible  as  an  army  with  banners.  Then  shall  she 
be  a  cup  of  trembling  to  all  the  people  round  about 
her,  and  shake  terribly  the  nations.  Then  shall  that 
man  of  sin  be  destroyed,  and  righteousness  shall  flow 
down  as  a  mighty  stream.  These  things,  dear  breth- 
ren, are  not  vain  imaginations,  for  God  is  now  about 
to  take  the  earth.  Thy  kingdom  come.  Even  so 
come.  Lord  Jesus.     Brethren,  yours  in  the  Lord. 

R.  Marshall, 

J.    DUNLAVY, 

B.  W.  Stone, 
J.  Thompson. 
Danville,  October  18^  1804. 

To  the  Moderator  of  the  Synod  of  Kentucky, ^^ 

In  these  sublime  figures  was  couched  the  whole 
purport  of  the  Schismatic  vision,  viz. :  the  coming  of 
the  Lord's  kingdom  with  power.  As  one  body  of 
people,  united  in  Christ,  by  the  pure  bond  of  love ; 
the  house  habitation,  or  dome  of  the  king  of  kings, 
in  which  the  groanings  of  Presbyterians,  Methodists, 
Baptists,  and — Christians,  for  the  wounds  of  their 
petty  party  cause  should  not  be  heard. — A  Zion  or 
pure  gospel  church,  shaking  herself  from  the  dust, 
i.  e.  from  every  thing  unclean,  all  that  belongs  to  the 
serpent;  and  shining  forth  like  the  sun  (i.  e.  Christ 


70 

Jesus,)  in  his  brightness.  Setting  the  people  to  trem- 
ble— and  shaking  terribly  the  nations.  Consuming 
the  man  of  sin — and  opening  a  stream  of  everlasting 
righteousness  upon  the  earth. 

These  were  bold  figures,  and  that  they  were  just 
about  to  be  substantiated,  required  something  more 
than  a  vain  imagination  to  evince. 

Sleeping  and  waking,  the  whole  topic  with  these 
Schismatics  was  the  increasing  work  of  God,  and 
each  one  contemplating  it  through  some  special  dream 
or  vision,  in  which  they  felt  confident,  they  had  a 
particular  revelation  of  the  Lord's  Christ.  This  was 
the  kind  of  manna  which  they  were  daily  gathering, 
and  out  of  the  infinite  abundance  that  fell  on  the 
camp,  it  may  not  be  improper  to  deposit  a  little  of  it 
in  the  pot.  In  some  of  these  rapturous  scenes,  they 
professed  to  be  carried  clear  out  of  the  body,  and  to 
be  favored  with  a  particular  interview  with  the  spirits 
of  their  departed  friends  ;  and  to  see  and  learn  their 
different  allotments  in  the  invisible  world.  Some- 
times they  mixed  with  great  multitudes  who  had  em- 
braced religion  in  the  past  century,  and  were  waiting 
for  the  new  Jerusalem  to  appear,  and  the  way  to  be 
opened  into  the  holy  city.  At  other  times  they  pro- 
fessed to  see  the  holy  city,  in  the  bright  and  heaven- 
ly glory,  and  to  hear  the  songs  of  the  angelic  host ; 
and  that  attempting  to  join  them  in  their  music,  occa- 
sioned the  melodious  sound  in  the  breast ;  and  that 
entering  into  the  overshadowing  cloud  of  such  celes- 
tial witnesses,  perfumed  their  whole  soul  and  body, 
with  a  peculiar  fragrance,  which  rendered  every 
thing  of  a  mortal,  fleshy  nature,  disagreeable  and  un- 
savoury. This  peculiar  fragrance,  which  could  not 
be  found  in  anything  upan  earth,  but  the  subjects  of 
these  strange  operations,  seemed  of  all  other  things, 
to  bring  the  heavenly  state  the  nearest  to  the  senses 
of  these  people.  Under  the  influence  of  this  singu- 
lar perfume,  (which  seemed  to  answer  to  the  Scripture 
notion  of  the  smell  of  Christ's  garments  from  the 


71 

ivory  palaces  and  all  the  powders  of  the  merchant,) 
they  would  swoon  away  sometimes  three  or  four  times 
in  a  day,  recover,  rise  and  dance  around  with  such 
incarnate  and  elevated  springs,  as  might  render  it 
doubtful  to  the  spectator,  whether  they  properly  be- 
longed to  the  gross  inhabitants  of  this  globe,  or  some 
other  family  of  beings. 

Besides  these  singular  transports,  they  had  another 
species  of  vision,  more  universal ;  in  which  the  sun, 
moon,  stars,  mountains,  rivers,  plains,  vegetables,  an^ 
imals,  and  a  thousand  particular  things,  and  circum- 
stances in  nature,  were  used  as  emblems  of  things  in 
the  spiritual  w^orld,  or  kingdom  of  Christ.  One  has  a 
night  vision  of  two  suns,  another  of  three  moons,  an- 
other, wide  awake  sees  a  great  platform  of  bright  stars 
in  the  noon-day  hemisphere.  From  these  they  de- 
scend to  apparitions  of  strange  things  upon  earth,  (See 
the  Raleigh  Register  of  last  September,  concerning  the 
multitude  of  Celestial  beings,  seen  on  the  Chimney 
mountain,  hovering  round  a  great  rock.)  One  discov- 
ers a  certain  spot  of  ground  illuminated  all  over  with 
the  brightness  of  burning  fire,  and  thousands  of  human 
creatures  flocking  into  it  from  all  quarters,  and  instant- 
ly purified  from  all  the  effects  of  a  gross  and  fleshy 
nature.  Another  sees  the  air  crowded  with  birds  of 
prey,  commissioned  to  devour  the  flesh  of  every  dead 
beast.  Another  sees  a  road  marked  out  in  the  color 
of  bright  light,  a  thousand  miles  long,  and  stands  with 
his  visive  faculties  intensely  fixed  upon  it,  until  he 
discovers  certain  persons  coming  forth,  with  good 
news  from  afar.  Some  in  their  visions  were  employed 
in  crossing  rivers,  climbing  mountains;  finding  trea- 
sures, fighting  serpents,  or  more  delightfully  empix)yed 
in  eating  the  fruits  of  the  tree  of  life,  bathing  in  clear 
water,  casting  off  old  garments  and  putting  on  new. 

"In  a  word,  all  nature  seemed  to  be  impregnated 
with  a  new  and  spiritual  quality,  which  rendered  eve- 
ry object  and  every  transaction  presented  to  the  mind, 
whether  sleeping  or  waking,  susceptible  of  some  sigr 
nification  which  respected  the  then  present  work, 


72 

These  short  sketches  may  serve  to  recognize  the  as- 
tonishing" raptures  in  which  the  Schismatics  were  car- 
ried along,  in  full  expectation  of  the  kingdom  of 
Christ ;  hut  such  was  the  unremitted  flow  of  that 
Spirit,  which  transmuted  everything  into  a  different 
appearance,  that  were  it  supposable  that  disembodied 
spirits  could  enter  living  men  and  women,  it  might  be 
thought  that  every  visionary,  recorded  either  in  sacred 
or  profane  history,  had  rendezvoused  in  the  Schismat- 
ics and  borrowed  their  active  powers  to  revise  their 
endless  train  of  types  and  figures.  At  least,  it  was, 
no  doubt  with  the  greatest  propriety,  that  these  singu- 
lar people  appropriated  to  their  day,  the  full  and  per- 
fect accomplishment  of  the  following  prophecy  of  Joel. 
/  will  pour  out  my  spirit  upon  all  fleshy  and  your  sons 
and  your  daughters  shall  prophecy^  and  your  young 
men  shall  see  visions^  and  your  old  men  shall  dream 
dreams — and  I  will  show  wonders  in  heaven  above  ^  and 
signs  in  the  earth  beneath^  blood  and  fire  and  vapors  of 
smoke.  And  to  put  it  be^^ond  all  dispute  that  the 
work  among  the  Schismatics,  was  that  alluded  to  by 
the  prophet;  they  generally  supposed  the  extraordi- 
nary shower  of  blood  fell  out  in  the  summer  of  1804, 
about  seven  miles  from  Turtle  Creek  meeting-house, 
traces  of  which  are  preserved  unto  this  day.  Not  that 
they  considered  the  spirit  of  prophecy,  their  dreams 
and  visions  and  other  signs  as  having  anything  in 
them,  to  be  depended  upon  for  salvation.  But  as  the 
merchant  hangs  out  signals  about  his  door,  to  direct 
the  people  where  to  come  for  merchandise  :  so  were 
the  prophesier,  the  dreamer,  the  visionist,  the  sweet 
singer,  and  fragrant  dancer,  hung  out  to  the  view  of 
the  world,  to  shov/  where  God  was  about  to  open  his 
everlasting  kingdom  of  righteousness,  peace  and  joy 
in  the  Holy  Ghost.  This  kingdom  was  what  the 
Schismatics  were  peculiarly  bent  for,  and  short  of  this, 
they  determined  never  to  stop.  About  the  latter  end 
of  the  year  1804,  there  were  regular  societies  of  these 
people,  in  the  State  of  Ohio,  xit  Turtle  Creek,  Eagle 


73 

Creek,  Springfield,  Orangedale,  Salem,  Beaver  Creek, 
Clear  Creek,  &c.  And  in  Kentucky : — at  Cabin 
Creek,  Flemingsburgh,  Concord,  Caneridge,  Indian 
Creek,  Bethel,  Paint  Lick,  Shawny  Run,  &c.,  besides 
an  innumerable  multitude,  dispersed  among  the  peo- 
ple, in  Tennessee,  N.  Carolina,  Virginia,  and  the 
western  parts  of  Pensylvania,  who  were  exercised 
more  or  less  with  the  same  spirit.  Praying,  shouting, 
jerking,  barking,  or  rolling  ;  dreaming,  prophesying, 
and  looking  as  through  a  glass,  at  the  infinite  glories 
of  mount  Zion,  just  about  to  break  open  upon  the 
world.  At  least  those  who  were  foremost  in  the  schism 
expected  beyond  a  doubt,  that  another  summer  would 
not  roll  by,  with  any  degree  of  the  light,  gifts  and 
power  of  God,  short  of  that  which  bringeth  full  and 
complete  salvation  from  all  sin.  And  in  this  expecta- 
tion (besides,  the  common  exercises  of  shaking  hands, 
and  pledging  themselves  to  each  other  by  everything 
sacred,  that  they  would  preserve  in  the  sin-killing 
work,  unto  the  fall  feast  of  the  Lamb  :)  they  practiced 
a  mode  of  prayer,  which  was  as  singular,  as  the  situ- 
ation in  which  they  stood,  and  the  faith  by  which 
they  were  actuated.  According  to  their  proper  name 
of  distinction,  they  stood  separate  and  divided,  each 
one  for  one  ;  and  in  this  capacity,  they  offered  up  each 
their  separate  cries  to  God,  in  one  united  harmony  of 
sound  ;  by  which,  the  doubtful  footsteps  of  those  who 
were  in  search  of  the  meeting,  might  be  directed, 
sometimes  to  the  distance  of  miles.  Whatever  this 
portentous  concert  might  have  addressed  to  God,  in 
the  inner  man,  a  sensible  spectator  with  the  slightest 
attention  might  have  gathered  tlie  general  import  of 
their  univocal  prayer,  from  such  language  as  the  fol- 
lowing:  '^  Lord  God,  Almighty!  Thou  hast  prom- 
ised unto  us  eternal  life,  and  this  life  is  in  thy  Son. 
Thou  art  no  respecter  of  persons.  Glory  to  thy  name, 
we  believe  it  is  thy  will  that  all  should  be  saved,  and 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  We  venture 
upon  thy  promise,  and  roll  our  souls  upon  thy  truth 

7 


74 

and  faithfulness,  as  the  rock  of  eternal  ages.  Thon 
hast  invited  us  to  come  to  the  waters,  without  money 
and  without  price.  We  take  thee  at  thy  word.  Heav- 
en's King,  thou  knowest  that  we  are  thirsty.  We 
have  long  wandered  in  the  dry,  sandy  desert  of  sin  ; 
but,  glory  to  God,  we  believe  there  is  an  everlasting 
fountain  opened,  and  our  souls  have  already  begun  to 
taste  the  blessed  waters.  But  Lord  we  are  not  satis- 
fied. We  want  the  fulness  ;  and  we  believe  thou 
hast  given  us  the  foretaste,  not  to  disappoint  us,  but 
to  encourage  us  to  press  on  to  the  overflowing  foun- 
tain, and  short  of  that  we  mean  not  to  stop.  We  want 
to  bathe  in  the  ocean  of  Redeeming  love,  and  wash 
away  the  last,  and  least  remains  of  a  fallen  nature. 
Jesus,  Master,  we  want  to  be  like  thee  ;  holy,  as  thou 
art  holy — without  spot  and  blameless.  Come,  Lord, 
and  finish  thy  work !  Cut  it  short  in  righteousness. 
We  doubt  not,  it  is  thy  will,  even  our  sanctification. 
Thy  perfect  will  is  all  we  want  to  know.  O  send  by 
whom  thou  wilt  send.  Work  by  means  of  thine  own 
choosing ;  only  supplant,  root  out,  consume  and  de- 
stroy the  man  of  sin,  the  son  of  perdition,  and  set^our 
souls  at  perfect  liberty  from  his  iron  bondage.  Jesus, 
Lord,  inscribe  thy  character  on  our  every  faculty. 
Make  our  bodies  the  fit  temples  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Diffuse  thy  nature  through  all  our  active  powers,  and 
let  every  member  be  moved  and  actuated  by  the  im- 
pulse Divine."  *   *   *  * 

Could  language  be  invented  more  expressive  of  the 
near  approach  of  the  day  of  real,  positive,  and  full 
redemption  1  It  therefore  remains  to  give  some  ac- 
count of  those  important  realities,  to  which  the  forego- 
ing signs  and  wonders  pointed,  and  to  the  entrance 
upon  which,  they  served  as  a  preparation. 

"  Shout,  Christians,  shout,  the  Lord  is  come  : 
Prepare,  prepare  to  make  him  room  ! 
On  earth  he  reigns,  we  feel  him  near, 
The  signs  of  glory  now  appear." 


75 

I  shall  close  this  part  of  the  history  with  a  hj^mn, 
composed  on  this  preparatory  work,  though  not  ori- 
ginally intended  for  publication  : 


JOHN    THE     BAPTIST: 

'^  The  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  greater  than  he,^' 

PART       FIRST. 

The  twenty-first  of  the  third  month,  in  eighteen  hundred  one. 
The  word  of  God  came  unto  me,  that  word  which  came  to  John— 
*'  My  gospel  is  preparing  for  this  benighted  land, 
Go  and  proclaim  the  tidings,  my  kingdom  is  at  hand. 


Those  souls  that  want  Salvation,  their  groanings  I  have  heard  ; 
But  ere  they  can  receive  it,  the  way  must  be  prepar'd. 
In  the  dim  rays  of  star-light,  a  work  must  first  be  done. 
Before  their  tender  eyes  can  endure  the  rising  sun. 

Repent  and  be  baptized,  must  be  your  solemn  call. 
The  tidings  of  salvation  must  be  proclaim'd  to  all. 
He  that  believes  my  messenger  commissioned  from  above. 
That  soul  shall  be  baptized  with  my  refreshing  love. 

When  persecutions  rise,  from  the  advocates  of  sin. 
Your  pliant  soul  must  yield,  like  a  reed  before  the  wind. 
You  must  be  greatly  shaken,  but  never  yield  to  fear. 
Before  the  scene  is  ended,  my  kingdom  shall  appear." 

This  blessed  word,  like  fire,  ran  through  my  mortal  clay ; 
The  former  earth  and  heaven  seemed  all  to  pass  away : 
And  while  the  kingdom  opened  in  visions  most  sublime. 
My  spirit  was  transported  beyond  the  bounds  of  time. 


76 

Awaking  from  this  rapture,  salvation  was  my  theme. 
The  multitude  supposing  I  only  told  a  dream  ; 
But  some  at  length  believed  the  living  truth  of  God,    . 
And  flaming  with  the  Spirit,  they  spread  it  all  abroad. 

Soon  as  the  fountain  open'd  for  souls  to  be  baptiz'd. 
The  land  was  in  commotion,  the  people  all  surpris'd  : 
In  thousands  they  resorted  unto  this  living  pool. 
And  as  they  felt  its  virtue,  each  acted  like  a  fool. 

With  joyful  tears  a-flowing,  mix'd  with  a  solemn  laugh. 
They  cry  "  the  day  's  approaching  when  God  will  burn  the  chaff!' 
In  this  blest  anticipation,  to  threshing  they  begin. 
To  make  a  separation  between  the  soul  and  sin. 

With  prayer  and  exhortation,  they  make  the  forests  roar. 
And  such  loud  strains  of  shouting  were  never  heard  before. 
The  stupid  Antichristians  were  struck  both  blind  and  dumb. 
With  such  loud  supplication — Lord  let  thy  kingdom  come  ! 

The  wicked  persecutors,  who  dared  the  truth  gainsay. 
Beneath  the  hand  of  justice,  their  breathless  bodies  lay ; 
Triumphing  round  their  corpses,  the  joyful  concerts  sing — 
*'  Hosanna  to  our  Jesus,  we  know  he  will  be  king  !" 

The  kingdom  was  proclaimed  in  loud  prophetic  strains. 
The  joyful  news  received,  with  ten  thousand  loud  Amens  ! 
With  mighty  signs  and  wonders,  the  work  did  still  increase. 
To  show  the  blessed  kingdom  was  righteousness  and  peace. 


PART    SECOND. 


Five  Preachers  formed  a  body,  in  eighteen  hundred  three. 
From  Antichrist's  false  systems  to  set  the  people  free  : 
His  doctrine  and  his  worship  in  pieces  they  did  tear — 
But  ere  the  scene  was  ended  these  men  became  a  snare. 

As  witnesses  for  Jesus,  they  labored  night  and  day. 
To  convince  the  blinded  Pharisees  that  Christ  was  on  his  way  ; 
But  souls  bound  for  the  kingdom  did  strangely  turn  aside, 
And  for  a  little  season  took  these  to  be  their  guide. 

The  word  of  God  came  unto  them  in  eighteen  hundred  four — 
"  Your  work  is  now  completed  ;  you're  called  to  do  no  more  : — 
My  kingdom  soon  must  enter,  I  cannot  long  delay ; 
And  in  your  present  order,  you're  standing  in  my  way.'* 

These  preachers  took  the  warning,  and  all  with  one  accord. 
Agreed  such  institutions  must  fall  before  the  Lord  ; 
And  wisely  they  consented  to  take  their  righteous  doom. 
To  die  and  be  dissolved,  to  make  the  Saviour  room. 

In  their  Last  Will  and  Testament  they  publish'd  a  decree. 
For  Christ-ians*  in  Ohio,  Kentuck'  and  Tennessee, 
To  meet  the  next  October,  and  swell  the  solemn  prayer — 
•'  Thy  kingdom  come.  Lord  Jesus,  thy  kingdom  enter  here  !" 


*  The  expectants  of  Christ. 


78 

The  meeting  was  observed,  the  solemn  prayer  was  made ; 
We  waited  for  an  answer,  which  was  not  long  delayed  : 
The  precious  seed  of  Canaan,  long  growing  in  the  east. 
Was  planted  in  Ohio,  ere  the  next  April  feast. 

The  long  expected  kingdom  at  length  began  to  spring. 
Which  to  many  has  appeared  a  strange  mysterious  thing : 
But  we'll  trace  it  through  the  summer,  the  hottest  scene  of  all. 
And  try  to  find  its  fruit  in  the  next  ensuing  Fall. 


PART     THIRD. 

While  carnal  Antichristians,  with  their  adult'rous  eyes, 
Look  out  for  some  great  monarch,  descending  through  the  skies. 
The  Saviour  's  on  Mount  Zion,  our  brethren  and  our  kin. 
Have  brought  that  blessed  gospel  which  saves  us  from  all  sin. 

How  foolish  is  this  gospel  to  the  aspiring  Jew — 
"  What !  call  a  man  a  Saviour  ?    Oh,  that  will  never  do  !" 
But  let  their  works  be  shaken  out,  before  the  gospel  fan  ; 
Their  souls  will  then  bear  witness,  that  Christ  is  in  a  man. 

That  full  and  free  Salvation,  for  which  ten  thousands  pray'd. 
Is  to  the  saints  committed,  just  as  the  prophets  said  : 
And  all  the  honest-hearted,  will  surely  find  it  there. 
While   proud,   self-righteous   hypocrites,  eat  back  their  feigned 
pray'r. 

That  God  who  shook  Mount  Sinai,  and  kindled  such  a  blaze, 
In  Zion  has  his  furnace,  in  these  last  burning  days  ; 
There  honest  souls  confess  their  deeds,  and  every  sin  forsake, 
And  all  the  powers  of  darkness,  their  faith  can  never  shake. 


A    BRIEF    ACCOUNT 

OF  THE  ENTRANCE  AND  PROGRESS  OF  WHAT  THE  WORLD  CALL 

SHAKERISM, 

AMONG  THE  SUBJECTS  OF  THE  LATE  REVIVAL  IN 
OHIO    AND    KENTUCKY. 


The  flesh  lusteth  against  the  spirit y  and  the  spirit 
against  the  flesh  ;  and  these  are  contrary  the  one  to  the 
ether  :  so  that  every  person,  according  to  that  princi- 
ple by  which  he  is  governed,  whether  flesh  or  spirit, 
will  conceive,  judge  of,  and  denominate  things 
around  him-  And  hence,  what  is  food  and  medicine 
to  one  man,  may  be  poison  to  another  ;  what  one 
calls  truth,  another  calls  error  ;  what  is  the  work  of 
God  to  one,  appears  the  work  of  the  devil  to  another  ; 
and  even  the  heaven  of  one,  may  be  another's  hell. 
Thus  the  same  thing  is  often  distinguished  by  names 
directly  opposite,  according  to  the  sense  of  different 
persons.  He  who  was  called  the  Son  of  God  by 
some,  was  denominated  by  others,  prince  of  the 
devils.  And  thus,  what  one  calls  Shakerism^  another 
calls  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  ;  and  a  Shaker ,  in 
the  language  of  some,  is  by  others  called  a  true  be- 
liever, a  child  of  God,  a  follower  of  the  Lamb,  And 
what  is  still  a  greater  contradiction,  that  which  is 
called  a  work  of  redemption  by  some,  others  distin- 
guish as  a  work  of  the  deepest  delusion. 

From  this  diversity  in  the  sense  and  language  of 
mankind,  it  will  be  necessary  to  treat  of  this  new  re  • 


80 

ligion*  in  a  twofold  order.  1.  According  to  the  real 
sense,  and  understanding  of  those  who  have  embrac- 
ed it.  And  2.  As  it  is  addressed  to  the  external 
senses  of  mankind  in  general. 

In  each  part  of  the  history,  impartiality  requires 
that  I  use  the  names  of  distinction  and  modes  of  ex- 
pression, peculiar  to  each.  Accordingly,  I  shall  pro- 
ceed in  the  first  place,  to  give  a  brief  account  of  the 
entrance  and  progress  of  the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ 
among  the  subjects  of  the  late  revival  in  Kentucky 
and  Ohio. 

Great  expectations  had  been  formed,  by  the  sub- 
jects of  the  revival,  of  something  very  great,  to  take 
place  in  the  summer  of  1805,  in  which  God  would 
especially  answer  their  ten  thousand  prayers,  in 
delivering  them  from  sin,  and  opening  the  way  in- 
to the  holiest  of  all.  Pursuant  to  which,  the  same 
Spirit  that  had  convinced  them  of  sin,  inspired  them 
to  pray,  and  confidently  look  for  deliverance  from  it, 
and  stirred  up  such  warm  expectations  of  its  near  ap- 
proach ;  I  say  that  same  Spirit,  on  the  first  day  of  the 
first  month,  in  the  selfsame  year,  dispatched  three 
men,  viz  :  John  Meacham,  Benjamin  S.  Youngs,  and 
Issachar  Bates,  from  the  church  at  New-Lebanon, 
town  of  Canaan,  in  the  State  of  New-York  ;  with 
the  testimony  of  Jesus  Christ  and  as  living  Avitnesses 
of  God,  to  open  and  confirm  to  the  people,  that  way, 
and  only  way  out  of  sin,  that  complete  salvation, 
which  they  themselves  had  found  ;  and  that  everlast- 
ing life  and  glory,  of  which  the  church  in  that  place 
w&re  in  possession.  They  arrived  in  Kentucky  about 
the  first  of  March,  tarried  a  few   days  at  Paint  Lick, 


*  I  call  it  new  religion,  because  that  term  is  readily  appropriat- 
ed by  all ;  and   especially  as  those  who  are  in  possession  of  it 
consider  it  a  new  creation,  the  new  and  living  way,  which 
makes  all  things  new  that  come  into  it. 


81 

where  they  were  kindly  entertained  ;  from  thence 
they  journeyed  to  Caneridge,  and  spent  a  few  days 
among  the  subjects  of  the  revival  in  that  place, 
among  whom  they  were  universally  treated  with  un- 
feigned respect.  From  thence  they  passed  over  into 
Ohio,  and  paid  their  first  visit  to  Springfield,  but  with- 
out exercising  any  particular  labors,  in  any  of  those 
places ;  they  prosecuted  their  journey  until  they  ar- 
rived at  Turtle  Creek,  near  Lebanon,  on  the  22d  of 
the  same  month.  They  came  first  to  Malcham  Wor- 
ley's  and  tarried  over  night,  and  the  next  morning 
they  came  to  my  house  ;  which  was  the  first  means 
by  which  I  knew  that  a  church  or  people,  by  such  a 
name  or  description,  existed  upon  earth.  We  spent  the 
remainder  of  the  day  principally  in  conversation,  on 
the  most  interesting  points  in  religion,  and  from  all 
the  evidence  I  could  collect,  I  judged  them  to  be  men 
of  honest  principles,  singular  piety,  and  a  deep  un- 
derstanding in  the  things  of  God  ;  and  as  such  I  de- 
termined to  treat  them,  so  long  as  their  deportment 
was  correspondent.  Some  of  their  conversation  I 
could  not  so  well  understand  :  a  number  of  things 
appeared  new ;  but  considering  the  copious  field  of 
truth,  too  extensive  for  my  comprehension,  I  was 
rather  disposed  to  hear  and  learn  more  of  God,  than 
to  shut  out  everything  that  was  not  included  in  my 
little  sphere  of  knowledge.  The  next  day  was  the 
Sabbath ;  and  as  they  desired  to  know  whether  the 
rules  of  our  meeting  would  admit  them  to  speak  in 
public,  provided  they  had  a  feeling  so  to  do,  I  an- 
swered, I  knew  of  nothing  to  hinder.  I  was  sensible 
the  spirit  of  the  revival,  as  well  as  that  of  our 
wholesome  government,  imposed  no  restrictions  on 
any  man,  from  testifying  his  faith  ;  nor  bound  the 
conscience  of  any  from  hearing  whoever  they  chose. 
And  upon  this  principle,  the  door  was  fully  opened 
for  them  to  make  any  labors  at  Turtle  Creek,  either 
in  public  or  private,  to  which  they  conceived  they 
were  commissioned.    Accordingly,  Issachar  and  Ben 


82 

jamin,  attended  the  meeting*,  and  opened  the  testimo- 
ny of  Jesus  to  the  congregation — which  might  all  be 
summed  up  in  this  one  saying,  namely,  If  any  man 
will  come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself  and  take  up 
his  cross,  and  follow  me.  For  whosoever  will  save  his 
life  shall  lose  it  ;  and  whosoever  will  lose  his  life  for 
my  sake  shall  find  it. 

From  their  own  feelings,  as  well  as  in  behalf  of 
the  church,  they  expressed  great  union  with  the  work 
of  God  that  had  been  for  years  past  among  the  peo- 
ple, convicting  them  of  their  sins,  and  pointing  out 
by  words,  signs  and  particular  sensations,  the  way 
and  method  of  salvation  ;  but  they  further  testified  that 
the  time  was  now  come  for  them  to  enter  into  actual 
possession  of  that  salvation,  of  which  they  had  re- 
ceived the  promise  ;  that  the  way  to  attain  it,  was  by 
self-denial,  taking  up  a  full  cross  against  the  world, 
the  flesh  and  all  evil  in  our  knowledge,  and  follow- 
ing Christ ;  walking  as  he  walked,  and  being  in  all 
things  conformed  to  him,  as  our  pattern  and  Head. 
Particularly  according  to  St.  Paul,  becoming  dead 
with  Christ  to  the  rudiments  of  the  world — dying 
unto  sin  once — rising  with  him  to  a  new,  spiritual 
and  holy  life,  and  ascending,  step  by  step,  in  a  spi- 
ritual travel ;  and  separating,  farther  and  farther, 
from  the  course  of  a  corrupt  and  fallen  nature,  until 
we  arrive  at  the  perfect  stature  and  measure  of  the 
sons  of  God.  That  the  first  step  in  this  saving  work, 
was  to  confess  all  our  sins,  and  when  we  confessed 
them,  forsake  them  forever.  And  wherein  we  had 
injured  and  defrauded  any  one,  to  make  restitution  ; 
and  in  so  doing  we  should  find  mercy  ;  and  being 
faithful,  should  receive  that  measure  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  would  be  an  overcoming  power,  not 
only  sufficient  to  keep  us  out  of  all  actual  sin  and  de- 
filement, but  to  cleanse  and  purify  both  soul  and  body 
from  the  very  nature  of  evil.  These  things  they  de- 
livered, not  as  matters  of  mere  speculation,  but  as 
things  that  had  for  many  years  been  reduced  to  prac- 


83 

tice,  and  established  by  the  living  experience  of  hun- 
dreds in  the  Church  of  Christ,  to  be  the  way.  and 
only  way  of  God  :  the  one  door  of  hope  for  a  lost 
soul ;  and  the  sure  entrance  into  the  righteous,  peace- 
ful, and  holy  kingdom  of  God's  dear  Son.  They  did 
not  pretend  to  direct  others  a  way  which  they  them- 
selves had  not  travelled,  but  testified  that  with  these 
plain  terms  of  the  gospel,  they  had  complied;  and 
the  substance  of  the  promise,  they  had  received  ;  and 
could  say,  without  boasting  or  dissembling,  that  ihey 
had  received  that  overcoming  power,  which  kept 
them  faultless  before  the  throne  of  God,  even  in  the 
presence  of  his  glory.  And,  moreover,  that  it  was  a 
matter  that  greatly  concerned  us.  That  as  Christ 
had  now  made  a  second  and  last  appearance,  for  a 
final  settlement  with  every  soul  of  man  ;  and  as  God 
had  wrought  so  great  a  work  among  us,  in  waking 
lip,  enlightening,  and  preparing  us  to  make  a  final 
choice;  and  by  a  special  gift  of  his  Spirit,  had  sent  us 
his  everlasting  testimony  of  truth,  we  ought  to  be 
very  cautious  how  we  treated  it.  For  such  as  were 
illuminated,  in  the  great  and  marvellous  light  of  the 
revival,  to  see  the  evil  nature  of  sin  ;  and  stirred  up 
to  seek  the  way  out  of  it;  and  had  the  last  and  only 
way  of*  God  opened  to  them  :  if  they  should  reject  it, 
their  case  must  be  deplorable.  That  although  the 
light  and  power  of  the  Spirit  might  have  been,  again 
and  again,  restored  to  such  as  fell  into  sin,  while  they 
had  not  the  proper  means  of  keeping  out  of  it;  yet 
when  those  means  were  offered,  should  they  be  re- 
jected, there  remained  no  more  protection  for  such  a 
soul ;  but  they  must  lose  the  salutary  eflfects  of  their 
former  light,  and  fall  under  the  power  of  the  wicked 
one.  And  upon  this  principle,  that  the  subjects  of 
the  revival  must  either  embrace  the  present  call  of 
God  ;  and,  in  obedience  thereto,  take  up  their  cross, 
and  follow  Christ :  or  gradually  lose  the  extraordina- 
ry effusions  of  the  Spirit  they  had   been  under,  and 


84 

leaven  back  into  a  more  corrupt  and  deplorable  state 
than  ever. 

If  a  historian  cannot  be  disinterested  and  unbiassed, 
it  is  necessary  that  he  be  honest ; — and  therefore  I 
acknowledge,  that  nothing  ever  presented  itself  to 
me,  that  so  powerfully  interested  my  feelings  as  the 
above  ^testimony.  And  although  I  was  not  wholly 
unbiassed,  I  can  say  with  infinite  propriety,  I  was  far 
from  being  biassed  in  its  favor.  A  thousand  objects 
presented  themselves  to  bias  me  against  it.  But  its 
intrinsic  weight,  the  importance  of  the  work  that  was 
past — the  salvation  of  thousands  that  hung  upon  the 
point  of  its  termination — and  that  of  my  own  soul  with 
the  rest,  balanced  the  weighty  demands  of  the  three 
insatiable  idols  of  time,*  and  held  me,  at  least,  upon 
an  equilibrium  for  several  weeks  :  so  that  without 
prepossession  or  predetermination,  I  could  candidly 
investigate  the  subject;  ready  to  go  with  the  weight 
of  evidence,  wherever  it  should  preponderate.  Du- 
ring this  interval,  my  searches  and  researches  into 
the  Scriptures — their  history,  precepts,  promises  and 
prophecies — the  signs  of  the  times — my  own  past  ex- 
perience in  religion  for  fifteen  years — the  nature  of 
the  past  extraordinary  work,  and  the  present  state 
of  the  subjects  of  it,  with  all  the  rest  of  Christianity's 
professors — with  the  many  questions  and  answ^ers, 
that  passed  in  conversation — were  they  all  written, 
would  swell  into  a  large  volume.  And  in  this  kind  of 
exercise  I  was  not  alone.  The  general  agitation  may 
be  in  some  measure  conceived  of,  from  the  following 
letter,  dated  Caneridge,  April  2,  1805. 

"  My  dear  brother  Richard  :— I  never  longed 
to  see  any  person  so  much.  If  I  was  not  confined  in 
this  clay  tabernacle,  I  should  be  in  your  embraces  in 
less  than  an  hour.  The  floods  of  earth  and  hell  are 
let  loose  against  us,  but  me  in  particular.     I  am  seri- 

P"  ■■  I  BM^^— — ^— — ^^^M^—      ■■  ■  II  ..  ■  I  ■■■■■■  I     ■    1.  I  II  ■!■■      ■■■.-.■  ■ 

*  See  1  John  ii.  16. 


85 

ously  threatened  with  imprisonment  and  stripes,  I  ex- 
pect to  receive  for  the  testimony  of  Jesus.  Kentucky 
is  turning  upside  down.  The  truth  pervades  in  spite 
of  man — Cumberland  is  sharing  the  same  fate — the 
young  preachers,  some  of  them,  will  preach  Jesus 
without  the  covering  put  on  him  by  the  fathers — the 
scribes,  the  disputers  of  this  world  are  gnashing  upon 
us — Brother  Matthew  Houston  has  clean  escaped  the 
pollutions  of  this  world — and  he  and  his  people  are 
going  on  to  perfect  holiness  in  the  fear  of  God — a 
few  more  will  soon  follow — come  over  and  help  us,  is 
the  cry  made  to  us  from  every  part — Brother  Purvi- 
ance  is  gone  to  Carolina,  to  preach  the  gospel  there, 
by  the  request  of  some  there.  In  a  few  weeks  I  start 
to  fulfill  a  long  daily  string  of  appointments  to  Cum- 
berland— by  request  I  go — I  have  appointed  two  com- 
munions among  many  Christ-ians,  on  the  heads  of  Lit- 
tle and  Big  Barrens — Brother  Dooley  is  among  the 
Cherokees  again — his  last  route  there  was  successful 
— some  poor  Indians  received  the  gospel — he  vv^as  so- 
licited to  return — he  is  truly  an  apostle  of  the  Gen- 
tiles— some  few  are  getting  religion  amongst  us. 

"  The  churches  thus,  quid  dicam?  Nescio  ;  What 
shall  I  say  ?  I  know  not  :  my  heart  grieves  within  me. 
Certain  men  from  afar  whom  you  know^  inject  terror 
and  doubt  into  many  ;  and  now  religion  begins  to  la- 
ment in  the  dust  among  us.  Some  as  I  suppose  will  cast 
away  the  ordinances  of  Baptism,  the  Lor d^s  supper,  SfCy 
but  not  many  as  yet.  Most  dear  Brother,  inform  me 
what  you  think  of  these  men  among  us  and  you,  from  a 
distant  region.  Thank  God  he  gave  me  his  word,* 
*'  Letters  show  the  substance  and  faith  eats  it.  We 
all  want  to  meet  with  you  shortly  :  But  by  reason  of 
my  absence  to  Cumberland — Brother  Purviance  to  N. 
Carolina,  Brother  Houston  in  Madison,  we  cannot 
meet  on  Turtle  Creek,  nor  sooner  than  third  Sabbath 
June,  and  that  in  Kentucky.     Brothers  Marshall  and 

*  This  italic  was  originally  in  Latin. 


86 

Houston  parted  from  us  yesterday.  We  administered 
the  Lord's  supper  at  Caneridge  the  day  before — many 
communicants — m«ch  exercise — I  am  pushed  for  time 
to  write  to  you — we  have  five  students  of  the  Bible, 
all  but  one  know  the  languages — full  of  faith,  and  of 
the  Holy  Ghost — just  ready  to  preach.  They  all  fled 
from  the  Presbyterians,  to  their  giief,  pain  and  hurt. 
Brother  Stockwell  exceeds  expectation  and  is  beloved 
and  useful.  Our  Apology  is  yet  living  and  working, 
and  tearing  down  Babylon  in  Virginia.  It  was  re- 
printed there  to  the  great  injury  of  Presbyterianism. 
It  is  also  reprinted  in  Georgia.  We  are  just  publish- 
ing a  short  tract  on  Atonement — I  will  send  you  one 
soon.  This  truth  has  unhinged  the  brazen  gates  al- 
ready— I  am  hurried — pray  for  me — farewell. 

B.  W.  STONE.*' 
By  friend  Bates. 


Great  prospects  were  presented,  according  to  the 
above  letter,  on  the  part  of  the  revival ;  the  truth  per- 
vading, and  turning  the  whole  country  upside  down — 
the  Macedonian  cry  sounding  from  every  part — the 
apology  and  tract  on  atonement  tearing  down  Baby- 
lon, or  unhinging  her  brazen  gates — some  full  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  just  ready  to  preach — and  one  among 
them  all  who  had  clean  escaped  the  pollutions  of  the 
world,  arid  was  going  on  to  perfect  holiness.  But  all 
this  appeared  unspeakably  short  of  the  glad  tidings 
brought  by  the  brethren  from  New-Lebanon,  provided 
that  what  they  testified  concerning  the  church  was 
true.  It  was  well  enough  for  those  Avho  were  in  Ba- 
bylon to  cry  for  help,  and  for  such  as  were  appointed 
to  the  Avork,  to  tear  her  down  and  unhinge  the  brazen 
gates  ;  but  something  beyond  this  must  be  taken  into 
the  account.  We  have  news  of  a  Zion,  and  what  if 
her  foundations  are  already  laid.  May  it  be  that  God 
has  sent  down  the  New  Jerusalem  for  the  refuge  of 


87 

souls,  before  he  began  to  tear  down  the  old  build- 
ing's ? 

The  Lebanon  brethren,  paid  their  first  visit  to  Bro- 
ther M.  H. ;  perhaps  he  has  believed,  and  taken  up  his 
cross.  How  else  can  he  have  escaped  the  pollutions 
of  the  world?  They  have  also  been  with  Brother 
Stone,  and  opened  the  testimony  there  in  part ;  per- 
haps he  has  taken  hold  of  it,  and  means  to  make  a 
final  push  for  the  kingdom  through  stripes  and  impris- 
onment. Or  have  these  students  of  the  Bible  learned 
to  appropriate  Scripture  phrases  to  false  and  inferior 
objects.  Brother  S-  and  others  may  have  received  the 
name  Holy  Ghost  out  of  the  Bible;  but  the  thing 
must  certainly  dwell  in  the  church.  And  admitting 
they  are  blazing  full  of  the  Spirit,  burning  and  shining 
lights,  this  goes  no  further  than  John  the  Baptist,  it  is 
far  short  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  Those  brethren 
from  the  east  tell  us  that  their  people  have  got  the 
kingdom — that  they  have  attained  it,  by  taking  up 
the  cross,  and  doing  the  works  of  Christ,  and  over- 
coming sin  by  a  faithful  and  diligent  combat — that 
they  are  of  God,  and  do  not  commit  sin;  but  walk 
even  as  Christ  walked ;  and  are  righteous  even  as  he 
is  righteous.*  And  moreover  he  that  committeth  sin, 
whatever  his  profession  or  gifts  may  be,  he  is  yet  of 
the  devil.  These  things  inject  terror  and  doubt  into 
many.  John  was  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  for  his 
testimony  concerning  Jesus,  he  was  actually  cast  into 
prison  full  of  terror  and  doubt,  w^hether  this  was  he  that 
should  come  or  whether  he  should  look  for  some  other. 

In  fine,  I  could  see  nothing  in  the  past  work  as  a 
foundation  to  build  upon.  And  what  these  strange 
brethren  testified,  appeared  plain  Scriptural  truth,  and 
presented  a  way  entirely  safe  for  those  who  were  able 
to  receive  it ;  and  whether  they  were  the  people  or  no, 
who  had  actually  attained  this  salvation,  it  was  very 
evident  they  were  far  before  us  in  light  and  under- 


*  See  1  John,  ii.  6,  and  iii.  7. 


88 

standing  concerning  the  way ;  and  it  was  no  donbt 
the  will  of  God,  that  those  who  desired  to  be  saved, 
should  walk  in  it.  Thus  in  the  midst  of  reasonings, 
doubtful  disputations,  and  close  examinations,  the  tes- 
timony was  investigated  at  Turtle  Creek  publicly  and 
from  house  to  house,  until  it  obtained  the  full  credit  of  a 
number  who  had  been  leading  characters  in  the  revival. 
Malcham  Worley  was  the  first  who  embraced  it, 
opened  his  mind  and  took  up  his  cross.  With  this  I 
confess  I  was  at  first  staggered,  from  a  deep-rooted 
prejudice  that  I  had  imbibed  against  some  of  his  pecu- 
liar sentiments  ;  but  finally  concluded  that  if  Malcham 
had  been  more  wild  in  his  former  exercises  than  the 
rest,  he  certainly  needed  salvation  the  more ;  besides 
it  appeared  that  his  conflicts  with  the  man  of  sin,  the 
son  of  perdition,  (as  he  expressed  it,)  must  shortly  have 
terminated liis  existence  upon  earth,*  had  not  his  ex- 
pected deliverer  come  out  of  Zion  to  turn  away  un- 
godliness from  Jacob.  But  I  was  not  a  little  surprised, 
that  these  strange  brethren  should  come  directly  there, 
and  he  receive  them  with  such  cordiality,  when  I  was 
well  assured  that  no  previous  acquaintance,  had  ex- 
isted between  them.  This  with  many  other  singular 
circumstances  that  occurred,  restrained  me  from  at- 


*  It  was  necessary  that  a  work  which  promised  redemption  from 
sin,  should  include  a  perfect  revelation  of  the  whole  root  and 
foundation  of  it.  And  as  the  subject  of  this  revelation,  God  made 
choice  of  Malcham  Worley  ;  who,  notwithstanding  he  w^as  a 
man  of  unspotted  character,  of  an  independent  fortune,  and  a  libe- 
ral education  ;  yet,  neither  his  learning,  his  estate,  nor  his  good 
name,  could  have  saved  him  from  total  distraction,  and  the  wildest 
convulsions  of  despair,  when  he  came  to  behold  in  the  open  light 
of  Divine  revelation,  the  whole  depth  of  human  depravity.  No- 
thing but  the  miraculous  power  of  God  could  have  supported  him 
through  such  a  scene,  and  kept  him  alive  in  the  cheerful  hope  of 
deliverance,  amidst  the  violent  conflicts  of  an  inbred  nature,  and 
the  outward  rage  of  blind  and  superstitious  professors. 


89 

tempting"  to  judge  the  mysterious  work  of  God's  Spirit, 
but  rather  labor  to  get  a  deeper,  and  more  practical 
acquaintance  with  it.  Soon  after  Malcham  set  out  in 
the  narrow  way,  he  was  followed  by  a  number  ;  so 
that  within  three  or  four  weeks  from  the  first  opening 
of  the  testimony,  it  had  pervaded  ten  or  twelve  fami- 
lies ;  and  from  that  period  continued  gradually  to  in- 
crease, so  that  at  Turtle  Creek  the  number  of  families 
which  now  stand  in  the  faith  of  Christ's  second  ap- 
pearance, may  be  stated  between  thirty  and  forty. 

I  shall  now  consider  the  entrance  and  progress  of 
the  testimony  more  particularly,  as  it  respects  the  in- 
dividual who  receives  it.  The  first  point  of  faith  in 
relation  to  the  testimony,  is  to  believe,  that  he  who 
bears  it  is  a  true  messenger  and  witness  of  Christ,  in 
whom  the  Spirit  of  truth  continually  abides,  and  that 
whatever  instruction,  reproof,  or  council  is  ministered 
by  such,  it  comes  from  Christ,  who  speaketh  in  him. 
Therefore  all  who  are  taught  in  this  manner  are  strict- 
ly and  properly  taught  of  God  ;  and  in  obeying  what 
they  are  taught  they  yield  obedience  to  Christ • 

Upon  this  ground  the  believer  has  to  make  a  final 
settlement  with  an  old  systematic  idea,  that  the  Spirit 
of  God  speaketh  invariably  in  the  Scriptures.  Upon 
an  impartial  examination  he  finds  that  all  the  contra- 
dictory spirits  among  the  professors  of  Christianity 
speak  in  the  Scriptures,  and  even  the  devil  himself 
can  speak  in  the  Scriptures  ;  so  that  the  Scriptures  are 
as  liable  to  be  spoken  by  an  evil  spirit,  as  the  good. 
It  then  remains  to  follow  that  spirit  which  goes  con- 
trary to  sin,  and  manifests  its  purity  by  its  fruit,  ac- 
cording to  the  Scriptures,  and  the  inward  test  of  con- 
science. This  is  the  spirit  of  Christ,  and  it  sets  them 
immediately  to  work,  to  do  the  righteous  will  of  God. 
And  first  of  all  to  confess  before  God  what  they  have 
done  contrary  to  his  will  and  the  light  of  their  own 
conscience.  In  this  w^ork,  the  honest  Believer  might 
as  well  try  to  cover  or  conceal,  the  most  chafing  mote 
in  his  eye,  as  try  to  hide  or  conceal  anything  which 

8* 


90 

he  has  committed,  contrary  to  the  pure  doctrine  of  the 
Scriptures,  and  the  holy  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  of 
which  he  stands  convicted  by  the  witness  of  the  Spirit, 
in  his  own  conscience.  And  here  he  has  to  combat 
the  spirits  of  wicked  men,  who  pretend  to  speak  in  the 
Scriptures,  and  say  that  it  is  idolatry  to  confess  sin  in 
the  presence  of  man — and  that  God  is  to  be  found  any- 
where ;  in  the  fields,  on  the  hills  or  under  the  green 
trees,  and  there  we  ought  to  make  our  confession  in 
secret.  But  by  following  the  Spirit  of  truth,  he  over- 
comes this  wild  pagan  error,  and  discovers,  that  ac- 
cording to  the  Scriptures,  God  never  accepted  a  con- 
fession, of  sin,  which  was  not  either  made  to  those 
whom  he  had  set  in  order  in  the  church,  or  at  least 
with  the  face  toward  that  temple  which  was  typical  of 
his  last  habitation,  viz.,  man.  But  the  greatest  evi- 
dence, the  true  believer  receives,  of  this  being  the  or- 
der and  institution  of  Heaven,  is  the  Divine  light  which 
he  receives,  in  consequence.  Light  by  which  sin  ap- 
pears more  than  ever  hateful,  and  by  which  he  is  in- 
spired with  a  growing  zeal  to  roll  out  of  his  heart  and 
practice  the  last  remains  of  it ;  and  lastly  by  which  he 
discovers  with  increasing  brightness,  the  succeeding 
footsteps  of  true  gospel  obedience.  To  the  sense  of 
those  who  in  the  faith  of  Christ,  have  cleared  their 
conscience  from  the  deep-rooted  stains  of  sin,  and  re- 
ceived his  Spirit  as  their  ruling  principle  of  life,  sin  is 
so  exceeding  sinful,  so  hateful  and  pernicious,  that  I 
am  bold  to  say  they  cannot  commit  it.*  But  he  that 
is  begotten  with  the  Divine  nature  of  the  Son  of  God, 
keepeth  himself  in  the  element  and  works  of  that  na- 
ture ;  so  that  he  can  no  more  commit  sin,  than  a  fish 
can  fly  through  the  air,  or  an  eagle  dive  to  the  bottom 
of  the  sea.  But  that  abiding  fervor  and  power  of 
spirit,  which  overcomes  every  motion  of  evil,  belongs 
not  to  the  entrance  of  the  testimony,  but  a  degree  of 
progress  in  it.     And  this  degree  all  must  attain  who 

*  See  1  John,  iii.  9,  and  v.  18. 


91 

come  into  it,  or  fall  off  as  withered  branches  ;  for  there 
remains  no  more  room  for  either  imputing  their  sins 
to  Christ,  or  to  a  deceitful  heart,  or  anything  else,  by 
which  they  can  be  excused  ;  but  the  soul  that  sinneth 
must  bear  its  own  iniquity,  and  burn  under  it,  without 
any  mitigation  or  covering. 

With  an  inward  sense  of  the  power,  protection, 
and  presence  of  God,  the  Believer  travels  out  of  the 
use  of  shadows  and  signs,  ceremonies  and  forms  of 
worship,  to  w^hich  he  might  have  been  strongly  bigot- 
ed while  in  bondage  under  the  law.  There  is  no 
more  occasion  for  calling  upon  God  afar  off,  when  he 
has  taken  possession  of  his  body,  and  lives  and  walks 
in  him,  nor  of  calling  to  his  memory  a  departed  Sa- 
viour, by  signs  and  shadows  of  his  dying  love  ;  when 
the  only  Saviour  that  ever  redeemed  a  lost  soul,  is 
formed  and  living  in  him,  and  executing  every  branch 
of  his  office.  Water  applied  to  the  body  appears  a 
beggarly  element,  compiired  with  the  baptism  of  the 
Spirit.  And  as  one  baptism  is  sufficient  to  purify  the 
conscience,  he  takes  that  and  travels  away  from  the 
superfluous  shadow.  Bodily  exercises,  dreams,  vi- 
sions and  ecstasies,  which  had  but  a  momentary  ef- 
fect on  the  blind  and  obdurate  heart,  and  furnished, 
at  best,  but  a  fleeting  joy  ;  gradually  give  place  to 
the  Sun  of  righteousness,  that  shines  continually  the 
same,  without  cloud  or  eclipse.  Hence,  in  the  pro- 
gressive work  of  the  testimony,  a  blessed  reality,  an 
enduring  antitype,  is  wrought  in  the  Believer,  which 
fully  answers  to  all  that  he  could  possibly  have  con- 
ceived of,  while  longing,  praying,  and  hoping  for  the 
kingdom  to  come.  As  Believers  become  more  and 
more  leavened  into  the  nature  of  Christ,  they  discov- 
er, with  increasing  accuracy,  the  latent  corruptions  of 
a  fleshly  nature  ;  and  the  secret  wiles  of  Satan,  in 
injecting  his  poison  into  the  heart.  And  as  they  dis- 
cover, so  by  the  cross  they  overcome  and  gain  an  in- 
creasing victory  over  that  which  is  death  to  the  soul, 
by  dying  to   it— the  spirit    of   the   testimony   runs 


92 

through  all  the  Believer's  deportment,  in  public,  in 
private  and  in  secret;  so  that  in  no  circumstance  he  is 
released  from  the  work  of  self-denial,  or  at  liberty  to 
defile  his  conscience  with  any  act  of  injustice,  or  un- 
cleanness,  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  Divine  law,  or 
the  nature  of  the  Son  of  God  who  first  fulfilled  it. 
To  the  unclean  lust  of  the  flesh,  in  which  the  sinful 
selfish  nature  of  man  is  formed,  the  followers  of 
Christ  stand,  in  a  peculiar  nianner,  opposed;  and 
count  it  their  distinguishing  privilege  to  preserve  their 
bodies  in  sanctification  and  honor.  In  the  death  of 
that  in  which  all  men  by  nature  are  held,  they  find 
deliverance  from  every  branch  of  evil ;  such  as  pride, 
covetousness,  anger,  hatred,  &c.,  so  that  by  crucify- 
ing the  flesh,  its  affections  and  lusts  wither  of  course  ; 
and  they  grow  into  a  peaceable,  gentle,  kind  and 
loving  spirit :  in  which  they  can  live  together  from  one 
year's  end  to  another,  without  feeling  a  hard  thought, 
much  less  expressing  a  hard  word,  one  against  another. 
And  in  such  a  spirit  and  deportment  as  cements  them 
together  in  one  fellow  feeling,  and  promotes  the  peace, 
purity  and  happiness  of  the  whole,  the  progress  of 
the  testimony  mainly  consists. 

Moreover,  all  who  receive  the  testimony  in  the 
spirit  of  it,  are  taught  thereby,  to  be  diligent  and 
faithful,  in  things  temporal  as  well  as  spiritual ;  and 
to  serve  God  with  body  and  substance,  as  well  as 
their  spirits.  Hence  the  testimony  has  a  proportionate 
progress,  in  the  frugality,  and  honest  industry  of  Be- 
lievers, whereby  they  lay  up  in  store  a  good  founda- 
tion, not  for  their  own  pleasure  and  aggrandizement, 
but  for  the  honor  of  God,  and  the  relief  and  succor 
of  him  that  needeth. 

By  faith  in  the  testimony,  and  the  influence  of  that 
Spirit  which  accompanies  it,  without  any  other  stimu- 
lus. Believers  at  Turtle  Creek  began  with  confessing 
their  sins,  forsaking  them,  and  taking  up  their  cross, 
and  by  the  same  faith  and  spirit,  they  came  together 
on  the  twenty-third  of  the  fifth  month,  received  one 


93 

common  gift,  united  in  one  common  worship,  and 
without  murmuring,  or  caviling,  have  continued  it, 
increasing  in  love  and  union,  peace,  joy  and  harmo- 
ny, and  every  good  word  and  work,  unto  the  present 
day  ;  and  by  this  I  am  emboldened  to  testify,  that  the 
kingdom  so  much  prayed  for,  is  come  according  to 
the  promise  of  God,  and  the  order  which  Divine  wis- 
dom laid  out;  and  the  saints  have  begun  to  possess 
that  enduring  substance,  which  prophets  and  kings 
desired  to  see,  and  died  without  the  sight. 

The  same  faith,  produced  by  the  preparatory  work 
of  God,  began  also  to  break  out  at  Eagle  Creek, 
some  tinie  in  the  sixth  month  ;  which  gave  occasion  to 
the  testimony  being  opened  there.  A  few  at  first  em- 
braced it  with  full  purpose  of  soul,  as  the  only  way 
of  God.  In  the  month  following,  Brother  Dunlavy 
stepped  into  the  ignominious  path,  and  began  to 
preach  the  faith,  which  for  a  time  he  had  labored  to 
destroy ;  and  from  thenceforward  the  same  work, 
worship,  and  spiritual  travel,  went  forward  there  as 
at  Turtle  Creek,  and  exists  at  present  in  twenty  or 
thirty  families  in  the  bounds  of  the  meeting.  Through 
the  faith,  and  special  light  of  Matthew  Houston,  Sa- 
muel Henry,  and  John  Bonta,  Elisha  Thomas,  &c., 
the  testimony  entered,  and  was  received  on  the  south 
side  of  Kentucky,  about  the  middle  of  the  eighth 
month  ;  and  continued  to  spread  until  it  embraced  as 
many  as  were  willing  to  embrace  it,  in  Mercer,  Shel- 
by, Paint  Lick,  and  Long  Lick.  In  each  of  which 
places,  there  are  a  number  of  families,  who  have  de- 
nied ungodliness,  and  worldly  lusts,  taken  up  their 
cross,  live  together  in  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  and  bond 
of  peace,  and  while  with  open  eyes  they  are  travel- 
ling from  death  into  life,  they  shine  as  lights  in  the 
world.  A  few  families  at  Beaver  Creek  set  out  in 
obedience  to  the  testimony  in  the  spring  of  1806,  who 
were  numbered  with  the  faithful.  The  testimony  is 
one  and  the  same,  wherever  it  is  ministered  ;  is  re- 
ceived in  one  and  the  same  honest  and  good  heart ; 
and  wherever  it  springs  up,  and  bears  fruit  to  perfec- 


94 

tion,  that  fmit  is  one  and  the  same.  And  that  law- 
less and  disobedient  nature  of  the  first  man,  which 
never  did  bring  forth  fruit  unto  God,  they  can  jointly 
address,  without  pity  or  compassion,  in  the  following 
language : 

Awhile  you  may  cavil  and  fret. 
And  think  that  the  cross  is  too  hard  ; 

But  now  you  must  take  what  you  get. 
For  death  is  your  certain  reward. 

In  Adam  the  second,  I  trust. 
My  beautified  spirit  shall  find 

A  body  that's  free  from  all  lust, 
And  pure  as  the  heaven-born  mind. 


CHAPTER   II. 


Having  given  a  short  account  of  the  entrance  and 
progress  of  this  new  religion,  according  to  the  sense 
of  those  who  have  embraced  it,  I  shall  proceed  to  ex- 
hibit it,  in  a  more  external  point  of  view,  in  which  I 
shall  consider  some  of  the  errors  with  which  it  was 
branded,  and  the  unreasonable  treatment  which  it 
received  on  that  account  from  some.  Not  that  I 
wish  to  inspire  the  reader  with  the  least  degree  of  re- 
sentment, against  those  who  may  have  taken  up  the 
matter  in  a  false  light ;  and  through  a  misguided 
zeal,  acted  an  unreasonable  and  unlawful  part  in  op- 
posing it.  Confident  I  am,  that  if  Shakerism  were 
properly  understood,  there  is  no  man  in  his  senses 
could  persecute  it.  Nor  do  I  suppose  that  the  religion 
of  Christ,  under  any  name,  would  ever  have  been 
persecuted  by  the  men  of  this  world,  but  through  the 
instigation  of  a  wrong-headed  clergy.  The  govern- 
ment of  Christ  has  nothing  to  do  with  the  govern- 
ment of  this  world,  and  can  therefore  offer  the  citi- 
zens of  this  world  no  provocation.  But  through  the 
false  insinuations  of  those  who  have  wished  to  incor- 
porate the  Church  with  the  world,  and  sit  at  the  helm 
of  civil  and  ecclesiastical  affairs  in  conjunction  ;  those 
who  have  marked  and  kept  up  the  distinction,  have 
been  represented  as  the  enemies  of  mankind,  and 
treated  as  such.     Now,  if  it  is  true  that  none  of  the 


96 

princes  of  this  world  knew  Christ  Jesus,  otherwise 
they  would  not  have  crucified  him  ;  what  conduct 
might  be  expected  towards  those  who  walk  in  his 
meek  and  lowly  footsteps  from  the  enlightened  sons 
of  Columbia  ;  provided  their  judgment  was  not  warp- 
ed and  twisted,  by  that  wild  and  voracious  beast, 
which  long  ago  made  war  with  the  Lamb,  and  over- 
came him.  Herod  and  Pontius  Pilate  would  never 
have  molested  the  harmless  Jesus,  but  for  the  false 
accusations  of  the  priests  and  high  pretenders  to 
religion;  instant,  with  loud  voices  crying,  ''Away 
with  him — he  says  he  is  the  Son  of  God!  He 
makes  himself  equal  with  God  !  He  said  he  would 
destroy  our  temple^  and  build  it  again  in  three  days  / 
Away  with  him  ! — away  with  him  !  If  you  let  the 
deceiver  go,  you  will  not  be  a  friend  to  Ccesar.^^  It 
was  not  the  peaceable  citizens  of  the  Roman  govern- 
ment, that  characterized  him  a  blasphemer  and  male- 
factor, wine-drinker  and  a  whoremaster ;  but  those 
who  professed  to  have  all  one  father,  even  God.  And 
it  was  the  same  characters  that  pursued  the  saints  as 
^'  pestilent  fellows,  movers  of  sedition,^  ^  enemies  to  the 
commonwealth,  &c.,  wore  out  the  patience  of  the 
civil  magistrate  with  their  clamors,  and  finally  in- 
terested the  secular  arm  to  extirpate  them  from  the 
earth.  These  things  were  written  for  our  learning  ; 
that  when  we  see  any  people  persecuted  for  their  re- 
ligion, we  may  know  it  is  not  primarily  by  the  com- 
monwealth, but  by  the  instigation  of  some  ecclesias- 
tical judge  :  and,  of  course,  it  is  not  really  the  reli- 
gion itself  that  is  persecuted,  but  something  in  the 
room  of  it,  which  the  false  judge  has  the  assurance 
to  palm  upon  the  multitude,  while  he  demands  their 
credit  to  his  false  coloring.  That  Shakerism  has 
been  grossly  misrepresented  in  many  instances,  very 
few  will  pretend  to  doubt ;  and  the  source  from 
whence  these  misrepresentations  arose  must  be  pecu- 
liarly worthy  of  notice. 

It  is  easy  to  perceive,  that  the  spirit  of  the  revival 


97 

had  a  peculiar  tendency  to  put  down  that  ministerial 
authority,  by  which  creeds  and  parties  were  supported, 
and  set  the  people  at  liberty,  each  to  follow  the  dic- 
tates of  his  own  conscience.  Upon  this  principle,  the 
jurisdiction  of  the  Synod  of  Kentucky  was  renounced, 
and  the  Presbytery  of  Springfield  resigned  their  sup- 
posed authority.  But  though  Dagon  fell  before  the 
ark,  yet  the  Philistines  set  him  again  in  his  place.  The 
generality  of  the  members  of  the  Presbytery,  notwith- 
standing their  professed  resignation,  continued  in  the 
full  possession  of  their  reputed  authority,  and  in  that 
capacity  stood  ready  to  judge  of  any  increasing  light 
that  might  be  manifested,  whether  they  were  able  to 
comprehend  it  or  not.  Having  shook  off  their  former 
reins  of  government,  and  having  attained  but  little 
mortification  of  that  pride  natural  to  man,  and  being 
carried  along  in  a  high  gale  of  the  Spirit,  they  began 
to  form  great  imaginations  of  an  universal  kingdom, 
in  which  they  would  fill  the  first  rank.  And  as  the 
groundwork  of  this  vast  kingdom,  which  must  include 
the  whole  earth,  they  proposed  to  seize  upon  the  sa- 
cred name,  Christian,  exclusive  of  all  other  names ; 
and  so  draw  into  union  and  one  grand  communion, 
all  who  wished  to  be  called  by  that  worthy  name- 
The  plan  of  this  great  kingdom  was  drawn  up  by  Rice 
Haggard,  and  published  in  the  year  1804  :  which 
proposed,  as  the  leading  foundation  principles,  simply 
to  worship  one  God — acknowledge  one  Saviour,  Jesus 
Christ — have  one  confession  of  faith,  and  let  that  be 
the  Bible — one  form  of  discipline  and  government,  and 
this  to  be  the  New  Testament — be  members  of  one 
Church,  &c.  (See  ''  Address  to  the  different  religious 
societies,  on  the  sacred  import  of  the  Christian  name," 
p.  21.)  These  high  imaginations  served  for  a  season 
to  amuse  the  people.  But  their  eccentricity  from  the 
leading  light  of  the  reviv^al,  is  easily  perceived,  by  a 
little  attention  to  the  '^  Observations  on  Church  Gov- 
ernment.^^ While  the  work  of  God  continued  in  any 
degree  of  purity,  it  was  not  a  sacred  name   the  sub- 

9 


98 

jects  of  it  were  in  quest  of,  nor  was  it  the  communion 
and  fellowship  of  the  millions  who  assumed  the  wor- 
thy name  of  Christ,  that  they  sought.  It  was  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation^  and  that  livng  spirit  of 
Christ  in  the  heart,  by  which  they  might  grow  into  a 
holy  temple  in  the  Lord.  But  a  scheme  of  human 
imagination,  which  proposed  to  organize  all  the  de- 
nominations into  one  great  body  of  Christy  was  very 
suitable  wherewith  to  confront  a  little  testimony,  which 
simply  encouraged  souls  that  were  seeking  salvation, 
to  confess  and  forsake  their  sins,  and  set  out  to  follow 
Christ,  in  a  life  of  new  obedience.  And  therefore  for 
the  distorted  features  of  Shakerism — the  erroneous  sen- 
timents and  wicked  practices  of  those  called  Shakers — 
mankind  in  general  are  indebted  to  those,  who  by 
way  of  eminence  are  called  Christ-ians. 

In  perusing  an  account  of  this  distinguished  profes- 
sion in  Browne^ s  Western  Calendar,  written  at  Spring- 
field, August  26,  1806  :  the  following  sentence  partic- 
ularly attracted  my  attention,  viz. :  ''  They  are  not  so 
vain  as  to  think,  that  all  their  tlioughts,  words,  and 
actions  have  always  been  exactly  right;  and  they  will 
thank  any,  who  in  the  spirit  of  meekness,  will  point 
out  to  them,  wherein  they  may  be  wrong,  that  they 
may  amend."  This  concession  and  request  from  one 
of  the  first  ministers  in  this  new  Christ-ian  society,  in 
behalf  of  the  people  in  general,  although  I  conceive 
it  furnishes  me  with  no  authority  to  accuse  them  of 
aught,  yet  in  reason  it  must  prevent  their  taking  of- 
fence, should  they  know,  that  a  number  of  their  words 
and  actions  are  recorded,  in  a  spirit  of  meekness,  which 
are  conceived  to  be  essentially  wrong. 

When  the  testimony  was  opened  at  Turtle  Creek, 
what  was  spoken  by  the  Lebanon  brethren  themselves, 
could  not  reasonably  be  condemned  by  those  who 
heard  it.  But  others  at  a  distance,  tossing  about  with 
the  wind  of  imagination,  and  conjecturing  things  that 
had  no  reality,  imbibed  a  spirit  of  prejudice  against 
this  doctrine  of  the  cross ;  and  especially  as  it  bore  an 


99 

unfavorable  aspect  toward  the  great  body  of  Christ 
which  they  had  in  contemplation.  And  therefore, 
the  first  words  which  I  conceive  were  not  exactly 
right y  came  forward  in  a  letter  from  Springfield,  dated 
April  5,  1805  ;  a  few  of  which  words  were  as  follows  : 
''  It  matters  not  to  me  who  they  are,  who  are  the  de- 
vil's tools,  whether  men  or  angels,  good  men  or  bad. 
In  the  strength  of  God  I  mean  not  to  spare.  I  used 
lenity  once  to  the  devil,  because  he  came  in  a  good 
man,  [viz.]  Worley.  But  my  God  respects  no  man's 
person.  I  would  they  were  even  cut  off  who  trouble 
you.  I  mean  in  the  name  and  strength  of  God  to  lift 
his  rod  of  almighty  truth  against  the  viper,"  &c.  Now 
admitting  that  these  were  the  wickedest  men  on  earth, 
I  am  far  from  thinking  that  such  menacing  words, 
from  one  unprovoked,  could  be  justified,  and  how 
much  less  when  on  the  same  sheet,  this  concession  ap- 
pears, ^'  I  do  not  say  that  they  are  not  good  men,  or 
that  the  body  of  their  sect  are  not  such,  perhaps  they 
have  more  light  than  any  other  sect ;  perhaps  they 
have  had  more  power."  Where  then  could  be  the 
propriety  of  crushing  them,  or  cutting  them  oflf,  even 
upon  the  generous  Christ-ian  plan  of  a  coalition  of 
sects. 

In  a  foregoing  letter  it  was  complained  that  through 
faith  in  the  testimony,  the  ordinances  of  baptism,  the 
Lord's  Supper,  &c.  were  likely  to  be  cast  away.  And 
in  the  epistle  from  which  I  have  just  been  quoting, 
are  the  following  words :  ''  These  men  have  turned 
the  gospel  into  a  law  of  commandments  contained  in 
ordinances."  Now  from  these  two  Christ-ian  minis- 
ters^ who  could  learn  the  true  account?  Their  words 
could  not  be  both  exactly  rights  for  they  stood  in 
pointed  contradiction.  But  further,  considering  that 
Brother  Thompson,  in  the  same  letter  acknowledged 
that  he  was  far  behind,  not  only  in  the  light  and  lib- 
erty of  the  revival,  but  on  every  important  subject,  I 
conceive  it  was  not  exactly  right  for  him  to  form  such 
hasty  resolutions  to  combat  the  testimony,  even  before 


100 

he  had  properly  heard  it ;  and  with  that  resohition, 
to  come  up  to  the  camp-meeting  at  Turtle  Creek,  on 
the  27th  of  April,  raise  a  sudden  and  passionate  out- 
cry against  these  peaceable  men — assiune  the  author- 
ity of  leading  the  meeting — enter  upon  a  public  inves- 
tigation of  their  doctrines,  and  in  the  close  of  it,  pro- 
nounce with  a  loud  voice,  they  are  liars!  they  are 
liars  !  they  are  liars  !  According  to  the  f able  ^  ''  A  liar 
is  not  to  be  believed,  even  when  he  speaks  the  trxith,'^'' 
Therefore  although  it  was  readily  granted,  that  these 
men  spoke  the  truth,  yet  there  remained  this  pretext 
for  not  believing  them,  namely,  tliat  they  were  de- 
clared to  be  liars  ;  and  upon  this  principle  it  was,  that 
they  were  debarred  by  many  from  speaking  at  all  in 
public,  A  man  may  be  under  an  error,  or  he  may  be 
mistaken,  and  yet  merit  some  degree  of  respect  from 
his  fellow-creatures  ;  but  a  wilful  liar,  a  deliberate 
teller  of  lies,  who  can  away  with.  Therefore  under 
this  opprobrious  character,  a  bold  Christ-ian  could  cry 
to  Issachar  Bates,  "Go  to  Hell,"  and  while  aAvicked 
man  followed  John  Meacham  from  place  to  place, 
spitting  in  his  face,  and  crying  aloud  to  make  a  great 
fire,  and  burn  these  false  prophets,  some  of  the  fore- 
most, who  professed  the  worthy  name,  Christ-ian,  were 
at  his  back,  laughing  and  encouraging  him  on.  This 
and  such  like  treatment,  appeared  so  far  from  being 
exactly  right  among  a  people  who  aimed  at  monopo- 
lizing the  name  of  Christ,  that  I  am  confident,  similar 
treatment  from  the  wildest  savages  towards  any  men  of 
civil  deportment,  must  have  merited  severe  reflection. 
At  a  succeeding  meeting  at  Salem,  the  11th  of  May 
following,  I  have  no  doubt  but  Brother  Thompson 
may  have  justly  reflected,  that  he  was  not  exactly 
right  in  debarring  from  the  privilege  of  speaking,  one 
whom  he  had  long  acknowledged  his  equal,  and  his 
guide — excluding  all  who  believed  the  testimony, 
from  any  further  communion  or  fellowship  with  the 
Christ-ians,  and  especially  as  it  was  in  pointed  contra- 
diction to  their  general  Christ-ian  plan.  *^Let  none  be 


101 

excommunicated,  but  for  a  breach  of  the  Divine  law." 
(See  Haggard's  plan  before  mentioned.)  Setting  his 
own  prejudiced  spirit  to  speak  in  the  Scriptures,  as  if 
it  were  the  Spirit  of  God ;  and  thus  asserting,  that 
the  Holy  Ghost  had  made  him  overseer  of  the  flock — 
and  that  these  Shakers  were  false  Christs,  false  pro- 
phets, wolves  in  sheep's  clothing,  deceitful  workers, 
transforming  themselves  into  the  apostles  of  Christ, 
creeping  into  houses,  and  leading  captive  silly  women 
— dumb  dogs,  and  every  hateful  name  and  character 
which  the  Scripture  could  furnish.  In  consequence 
of  which,  they  were  railed  upon  by  the  Christ-ians 
under  these  names,  wherever  they  w^ent;  and  hence- 
forward these  members  of  "  the  great  body  of  Christ " 
conceived  they  had  good  authority  from  the  \vord  of 
God,  to  impeach  them  with  everything  that  was  er- 
roneous, wicked,  and  base  ;  and  not  only  palm  upon 
them  every  filthy  character  named  in  the  Scriptures, 
but  treat  them  as  they  supposed  such  characters  de- 
served. Now  if  it  was  not  exactly  right  to  take  the 
private  interpretation  of  John  Thompson  on  those  oc- 
casions, and  upon  the  strength  of  that,  refuse  any  per- 
sonal acquaintance  with  these  men,  it  will  follow,  that 
all  the  rough  treatment  they  received  in  consequence, 
was  exactly  wrong,  I  further  conclude  that  it  was  ex- 
actly wrong  for  my  kind  Brother  Stone,  after  inviting 
me  by  letter,  to  attend  the  general  meeting  at  Concord, 
the  second  sabbath  in  August,  to  forbid  me  to  speak 
on  the  occasion,  or  even  to  come  to  his  house.  And  by 
a  council  of  the  Christ-ian  clergy,  to  impose  upon  Bro- 
ther Dunlavy,  Benjamin  Youngs  and  Malcham  Wor- 
ley,  the  injunction  of  total  silence  through  the  w^iole  of 
the  meeting  ;  and  at  the  same  time  that  many  w^ere  soli- 
citing us  with  tears  to  preach,  and  we  thus  pointedly 
forbidden,  on  pain  of  being  prosecuted  as  disturbers  of 
the  meeting,  to  propagate  among  the  people  that  we 
were  the  dumb  dogs  spoken  of  in  Scripture,  (with 
which  title  we  were  often  taunted.)  On  the  last  day 
of  the  meeting  six  of  the  Christ-ian  brethren,  viz. :  J. 

9* 


102 

Thompson,  R.  Marshall,  B.  W.  Stone,  D.  Purviance, 
J.  Stockwell  and  A.  Biannon,  alternately  delivered 
each  his  opinion  of  the  Shakers^  in  an  address,  in  which 
some  of  them  were  named  out,' pronounced  liars,  de- 
famed by  many  slanderous  reports,  which  they  could 
have  proved  false,  had  they  been  allowed  to  speak. 
Now,  if  such  treatment  was  right')  the  spirit  of  the 
revival,  which  allowed  every  man  liberty  of  conscience, 
must  have  been  wrong.  But  as  I  conceive  it  to  be  right 
for  every  man  to  hear  and  believe  whoever  he  pleases, 
the  above  conduct  appears  not  only  subversive  of  the 
liberty  of  conscience,  so  warmly  contended  for  a  little 
Avhile  before  by  the  same  brethren,  but  of  the  very 
spirit  of  a  free  government.  For  be  it  observed,  that 
in  all  those  places  the  people  were  anxious  to  hear  the 
Shakers,  and  considered  themselves  as  much  related 
to  those  who  were  forbidden  to  speak,  as  to  them  who 
forbade  them,  until,  by  the  din  of  false  reports,  and 
misrepresentations  of  their  faith  and  practice,  they 
were  frighted  into  a  spirit  of  prejudice. 

Brother  Stone,  in  the  introduction  to  his  Letters  on 
Atonement,  observes  that  the  arguments  used  by  his 
opponents,  are  ''  bold  unscriptural  assertions — hard 
names — delusion — error — doctrines  of  devils — Armin- 
ianism — Socinianism — Deism,  &c.  Such  arguments 
(says  he)  have  no  effect  on  a  candid  mind,  but  they 
powerfully  influence  dupes  and  bigots.  The  candid 
look  for  truth  and  plain  unequivocal  arguments." 
Who  then,  could  he  suppose,  would- be  influenced  by 
the  following  statement,  in  the  postscript  of  his  reply 
to  Campbell's  strictures — ''  You  have  heard  no  doubt 
before  this  time,  of  the  lamentable  departure  of  two  of 
our  preachers,  and  a  few  of  their  hearers  from  the  true 
gospel,  into  wild  enthusiasm,  or  Shakerism.  They 
have  made  shipwreck  of  faith,  and  turned  aside  to  an 
old  woman's  fables,  who  broached  them  in  New-Eng- 
land, about  twenty-five  years  ago.  These  evolves  in 
sheep's  clothing,  have  smelt  us  from  afar,  and  have 
come  to  tear,  rend  and  devour,"  &c.     If  bold  unscrip- 


103 

tiiral  assertions — hard  names,  &c.  are  wrongs  I  pre- 
sume Brother  Stone's  postscript  is  not  exactly  right* 
What  plain  unequivocal  argument  was  ever  advanced 
to  prove  that  the  conduct  of  these  men,  in  a  single  in- 
stance answered  to  such  a  bold  assertion  1  When  Ben- 
jamin Youngs  was  forbidden  to  speak  at  Concord,  by 
R.  Marshall  and  B.  W.  Stone,  the  only  reply  he  made 
was,  "  I  am  sorry  to  see  you  abusing  your  own  light." 
Now  when  to  these  innumerable  hard  speeches,  are 
added — their  inviting  these  strangers  to  their  houses, 
stopping  them  at  the  door  when  they  came,  and  for- 
bidding them  to  enter  ;  or  at  other  times  ordering  them 
from  their  houses,  and  laying  them  under  the  necessi- 
ty of  seeking  their  lodging  among  the  weeds  ;  and  by 
such  acts  of  inhumanity,  as  a  deist  would  be  ashamed 
of,  encouraging  a  spirit  of  persecution  ;  I  think  the 
Christ-ians  may  well  acknowledge,  that  all  their 
thoughts,  words  and  actions,  have  not  always  been  ex- 
actly right.  What,  but  the  example  of  this  latest  genus 
of  Christ-ians,  could  have  instigated  any  part  of  a  free, 
and  friendly  republic,  to  beset  the  houses  of  the  Sha^ 
kers  in  the  night,  assault  their  persons  with  clubs  and 
stones,  break  their  windows,  and  burn  their  place  of 
worship — throw  down  their  fences,  and  turn  in  beasts 
to  destroy  their  grain — cut,  and  tear  to  pieces,  their 
apple  trees — crop  and  disfigure  their  horses — beat  and 
abuse  some  of  their  bodies,  and  by  every  kind  of  mock- 
ery, railing  and  cursing,  pushing,  collaring  and  threat- 
ening, disturb  and  molest  them  in  their  worship.  Did 
the  citizens  of  Ohio  and  Kentucky  know  of  a  truth, 
that  it  was  the  meek  and  humble  followers  of  Jesus 
Christ,  that  they  were  treating  in  this  manner?  Nay, 
verily :  but  a  people  as  they  supposed,  of  the  most 
corrupt  and  mischievous  principles.  And  as  I  appre- 
hend the  general  statement  which  the  Christ-ians  gave 
of  their  principles,  was  not  exactly  right-}  I  shall  mark 
out  some  of  those  mistakes.  The  first  rough  linea- 
ments of  Shakerism  portrayed  on  the  public  mind, 
were,  that  it  went  to  disannul,  and  cast  away  the  Bi- 


104 

ble — to  set  up  the  word  of  man  in  room  of  it — to 
deny  Jesus  Christ — the  resurrection,  and  final  judg- 
ment— to  throw  away  the  gospel,  and  seek  salvation 
by  the  works  of  the  law,  &c.     That  the  Shakers  were 
enemies  to  the  revival,  and  came  to  destroy  it.     That 
their  scheme  was  to  get  people's  land  and  property, 
by  parting  man  and  wife,  ruining  and  breaking  up 
families.    That  they  actually  forbade  to  marry,  and 
commanded  to  abstain  from  meats,  and  therefore  with- 
out hesitation,   they  were  seducing  spirits,  and  their 
doctrine  that  of  devils.     This  general  draught,  laid  a 
foundation  for  great  improvement,  both  upon  their 
principles  and  practice.     And  the  Christ-ian  minister^ 
who  set  the  example  of  characterizing  from  his  own 
private  studies,  without  any  personal   acquaintance, 
had  soon  abundance  of  followers,  who  felt  entirely  at 
liberty  to  publish  anything  which  a  fruitful  imagina- 
tion was  capable  of  composing;  and  from  this  source 
it  was,  that  the  public  generally  received  their  infor- 
mation.    And  according  as  the  wind  of  fancy  blew, 
so  it  was  a  fact,  credible  at  least  among  the  Christ-ians, 
that  the  Shakers  castrated  all  their  males,  and  conse- 
quently exposed  their  necks  to  the  gallows ;  or  divest- 
ed of  all  modesty,  stripped  and  danced  naked  in  their 
night  meetings,  blew  out  the  candles,  and  went  into 
a  promiscuous  debauch.     And  what  was  still  more 
shocking — the  fruits  of  their  unlawful  embraces,  they 
concealed  by  the  horrid  crime  of  murder.     In  one  in- 
stance, a  prosecution  was  proposed  against  an  individ- 
ual ;  but  the  evidence,  even  for  a  suspicion,  was  so 
extremely  vague,  that  the  bill  was  handed  back  by 
the  foreman  of  the  grand  jury,  with  a  just  reproof  to 
the   presenter.      Such   reports,    and   conjectures,   (of 
which  there  was  an  infinite  variety,)  were  generally 
taken  upon  the  authority,  that  Mr.  Such-a-one  heard 
a  man  say,  that  he  saw  a  woman,  who  had  it  from  a 
very  respectable  man,  who  saw  the  person,  who  saw 
it.     But,  in  some  instances,  persons,  said  to  be  of  great 
respectability,  would  affirm  (whether  they  meant,  with 


105 

their  natural  eyes,  or  the  eyes  of  imagination)  that 
they  themselves  saw  such  things.  For  such  liberty 
Brother  Thompson,  no  doubt,  laid  a  foundation,  in  the 
following  sentence  of  his  letter  of  April  5  :  "I  see  the 
mark  of  the  beast  on  that  Church,  as  plain  as  I  see 
this  paper  while  I  write ;  and  I  know  that  I  see  it  by 
the  light  of  God.''  In  the  light  of  the  same  God,  I 
doubt  not  but  ten  thousand  beastly  actions,  have  been 
seen  among  this  people  ;  not  one  of  which,  the  Christ- 
ians^ and  all  the  world  to  help  them,  are  able  to 
prove,  after  sending  out  spies,  and  w^atching  their 
houses,  by  day  and  night. 

It  has  ever  been  foreign  from  the  feelings  of  the  Be- 
lievers, to  counter-plead  such  vague  insinuations. 
They  believe  that  God  has  called  them  to  another 
work;  in  the  progress  of  which,  the  truth  will  show 
itself,  without  any  strife  of  words.  But  as  a  number 
of  things  of  considerable  weight  have  been  stated,  by 
way  of  objection,  which  have  been  maintained  with 
some  show  of  argument,  I  shall  briefly  investigate 
some  of  those  particulars ;  merely  to  show  the  differ- 
ence of  sense  and  understanding  on  those  subjects  ac- 
cording to  the  evidence  on  both  sides.  And  1.  The 
Christ-ian  minister^  after  forbidding  the  Shakers  to 
speak,  or  the  people  to  hear  them,  roundly  asserts — 
"  03^  These  men  say,  that  we  are  in  a  new  dispen- 
sation— that  Christ  is  come  the  second  time,  and  the 
resurrection  and  final  judgment  begun."  The  young 
believer  would  reply — ''Very  well :  A  new  dispen- 
sation is  what  every  enlightened  soul  has  been  look- 
ing for  :  and  the  coming  of  Christ,  is  that  for  which 
ten  thousands  have  been  praying :  and  he  must  now 
be  somewhere  on  earth,  as  the  Scriptures  are  true. 
For  the  time  is  up,  according  to  Daniel,  John,  and  all 
the  prophets,  for  the  sanctuary  to  be  cleansed,  and 
the  power  of  the  holy  people  restored — the  authority  of 
Antichrist  taken  away — and  the  saints  to  possess  the 
kingdom.  And  what  other  resurrection  is  there  to 
life,  but  to  come  out  of  that  state  of  sin  into  which 


106 

the^r^^  Adam  fell;  and  come  into  Christ  the  second 
Adarriy  who  is  the  resurrection  and  the  life.  The  mat- 
ter we  now  animate,  and  which  is  constantly  upon  the 
change,  we  are  not  to  expect,  after  its  dissolution,  to 
be  again  subtracted  from  the  elements  of  this  globe, 
and  repossessed,  in  its  primitive  form,  at  the  expense 
of  every  other  body,  with  which  it  may  have  been  in- 
corporated. And  what  other  final  judgment  are  we 
to  expect,  but  simply,  and  honestly,  in  the  presence  of 
God,  and  Christ,  and  before  the  saints  who  are  appoint- 
ed to  judge  the  world,  confess  all  that  we  have  ever 
done  amiss — repair  our  wrongs — set  out  to  forsake  ev- 
ery evil,  and  grow  up  into  Christ,  as  the  infant  grows, 
into  a  man  1  There  is  a  natural  body,  and  there  is  a 
spiritual  body  ;  the  former  belongs  to  the  fall — the  lat- 
ter to  the  resurrection.  Therefore  it  is  not  old  skulls 
and  rotten  flesh  that  are  to  be  raised  up  in  glory ;  but 
that  spiritual  body,  of  which  we  are  called  to  be  mem- 
bers ;  which  is  already  raised  up  by  the  power  of  God, 
and  ascending  into  the  heaven  of  heavens,  far  out  of 
sight  from  this  lost  world. 

Objection  2.  ^'  These  men  say  that  each  one  of  them 
is  a  Christ ;  and  we  must  throw  away  our  Bibles,  and 
follow  them." 

Answer,  This  statement  is  not  exactly  right.  They 
testify  that  there  is  but  one  Christ,  whose  footsteps 
they  follow,  and  though  they  are  by  nature  no  better 
than  any  other  men,  yet  in  following  Christ  they  may 
be  safely  followed,  according  to  the  Scriptures. 

If  three  honest  republicans,  in  order  to  reclaim  a 
band  of  tories,  should  invite  them  to  become  their  fol- 
lowers, even  as  they  followed  George  Washington  or 
Thomas  Jefferson,  would  this  furnish  a  sufficient  rea- 
son for  stating  that  each  of  these  men  professed  to  be 
a  Thomas  Jefferson?  and  therefore  they  must  be  liars, 
there  being  only  one  man  in  America  of  that  name. 
Or  if  these  tories  had  a  copy  of  the  United  States' 
laws,  which  they  abused ;  would  it  be  proper  for  them 


107 

to  say,  that  the  honest  citizens  wanted  them  to  throw 
away  their  law  book,  because  they  would  have  them 
to  live  according  to  these  laws  1  With  no  less  impro- 
priety were  the  Shakers  charged  with  professing  to  be 
each  a  Christ,  and  requiring  the  ChrisUians  to  throw 
away  their  Bibles. 

The  subjects  of  the  revival,  had  unanimously  be- 
lieved that  Christ  would  make  his  abode,  and  appear 
in  man ;  and  that  it  was  their  privilege,  to  believe  and 
follow  the  truth,  delivered  by  man,  according  to  that 
measure  in  which  it  was  opened  and  revealed.  This 
was  certainly  the  faith  of  Brother  Thompson  himself, 
w^hen  in  the  spirit  of  the  revival,  as  appears  from  the 
following  expression,  in  a  letter,  dated  April  22,  1803 : 
''The  Lord  may  have  made  known  to  one,  what  an- 
other is  ignorant  of — I  bless  God,  that  he  has  made  you 
capable  to  teach  me  in  the  things  of  God."  And  even  in 
his  letter  of  April  5,  1805,  he  has  so  much  remain- 
ing candor  as  to  say — ''God  in  mercy  visited  your  soul 
with  light  while  I  remained  in  darkness — he  sent 
you  to  this  country  with  the  light  to  sow  it  here,  and 
made  you  the  instrument  of  bringing  the  heavenly  fire 
to  Springfield,  where  my  soul  caught  the  flame  of  this 
revival.  Ever  since  that  time  you  are  in  my  heart  to 
live  and  to  die  with  you." 

Now  if  it  was  the  faith  and  order  of  the  revival,  to 
follow  the  truth  of  God,  testified  by  man,  it  could  not 
be  exactly  right  for  any  to  pretend  that  they  were  go- 
ing on  in  the  spirit  of  the  revival,  and  at  the  same 
time,  laboring  to  destroy  all  confidence  in  every  living 
teacher.  Crying  out — "Don't  believe  man — don't  fol- 
low him — you  need  not  believe  us,  for  we  may  and  do 
err — you  must  just  take  the  word  of  God,  and  read 
that — there  you  have  the  truth,  and  you  may  believe 
and  practice  it,  precisely  as  expressed  in  the  words  of 
Scripture."  Yet  the  people  were  shut  up  to  the  neces- 
sity of  believing  somebody,  and  rather  than  believe 
those  who  had  been  called  liars  by  others,  they  gave 
credit  to  the  opposite  character,  who  asserted  concern- 
ing themselves^  that  they  were  not  to  he  believed :  and 


108 

in  obedience  to  that  faith,  learned  first  to  call  the  Bible 
by  a  name  which  it  never  gave  itself;  and  according- 
to  that  name,  practise  whatever  was  commanded  or 
even  permitted  in  Scripture  words ;  assured  that  God 
immediately  spoke  to  them  in  that  Scripture,  even 
though  it  might  have  been  originally  spoken  by  a 
Pharisee,  Sadducee  or  devil. 

Although  I  have  heard  the  abettors  of  the  com/mon 
Christ-ian  cause,  maintain  that  Gen.  iii.  4,  ''Fe  shall 
not  surely  die^' — and  Mat.  iv.  6,  9,  ''If  thou  be  the  Son 
of  God?'' — ''If  thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me,"  ^c. 
were  the  words  of  God,  and  to  be  taken  without  any 
explanation ;  yet  I  have  supposed,  it  was  rather  to  a- 
void  the  force  of  truth,  which  they  were  unwilling  to 
acknowledge.  However  in  nothing  short  of  this, 
could  the  general  principle  find  any  consistent  basis ; 
and  the  implicit  believer  of  Bible  words,  must  learn 
his  duty  from  the  following  sentences,  as  directly  as 
any  others.  Rejoice  0  young  man  in  thy  youth,  walk 
in  the  way  of  thine  heart  and  in  the  sight  of  thine  eyes  ; 
go  take  unto  thee  a  wife  of  whoredoms — Drink  thou  also 
and  let  thy  foreskin  be  uncovered — Drink  ye  and  be 
drunken,  and  spue,  and  fall,  and  rise  no  more,  Sfc, 

Objection  3.  "  They  say  we  must  be  saved  by  the 
works  of  the  law — their  doctrine  leads  into  bondage." 

Answer.  They  believe  that  outward  circumcision, 
with  every  other  Jewish  ceremonj^,  which  the  apostles 
called  works  of  the  law,  were  abrogated  by  Christ,  nor 
have  tliey  attempted  to  revive  any  of  them.  But 
Christ  disannulling  these  dead  works,  made  no  pro- 
vision for  bad  works.  The  only  alternative  he  left  for 
any,  was  to  follow  him  in  the  regeneration,  or  con- 
tinue under  the  laiu  and  under  its  curse.*  This  doc- 
trine never  proposed  anything  but  bondage  to  the  Jew, 
who  expected  to  be  pardoned  for  Jibraham^s  sake,  and 
accepted  on  account  of  his  clean  outside.  Now  such 
an  objection  as  made  no  distinction  between  good  works 

*  See  Gal.  iii.  10. 


109 

— dead  works — and  bad  works,  came  very  improper- 
ly from  those  who  contended  so  warmly  for  liberty  to 
continue  in  sin,  as  well  as  in  the  use  of  those  works, 
which  they  themselves  acknowledge,  were  adopted  in 
the  room  of  circumcision  and  the  passover. 

Objection  4.  "  They  forbid  to  marry,  and  attach 
criminality  to  that  for  which  we  have  the  express  com- 
mand of  God." 

Jinswer.  This  I  am  bold  to  say  every  believer  in 
Kentucky  and  Ohio,  have  from  the  beginning  contra- 
dicted. Forbidding  anything  implies  authority:  and 
attaching  criminality  to  anything,  belongs  to  a  law. 
Now  these  men  never  proposed  any  other  than  the  law 
of  Moses,  and  every  man's  conscience  as  a  criterion  to 
distinguish  between  good  and  evil.  Therefore  what 
was  thus  alread)^  condemned,  did  not  remain  for  them 
to  criminate.  And  upon  the  generous  principle,  that 
every  free  agent  ought  to  be  allowed,  in  matters  of 
religion,  to  act  according  to  his  own  faith ;  they  have 
never,  to  iiiy  knowledge,  imposed  any  prohibition  on 
an  individual,  in  relation  to  matrimony.  It  is  true, 
that  ybr  the  kingdom  of  heaven^ s  sake,  they  choose  to 
be  even  as  Christ,  in  that  respect.  But  their  receiving 
a  particular  saying  of  Christ,  and  living  precisely  up 
to  it,  claims  no  authority  over  the  children  of  this 
world  ;  they  have  an  indisputable  right,  according  to 
their  own  laws,  to  marry;  and  every  church  may 
adopt  such  laws  and  forms  of  matrimony  as  they  think 
proper,  and  with  any  such  laws  or  forms,  the  Shakers 
have  never  interfered. 

The  Christ-ians  have  labored  hard  to  establish  the 
above  objection,  and  not  without  some  plausible  pre- 
text. And  had  the  witnesses  against  Christ,  no  pretext 
for  asserting — •'  We  heard  this  fellow  say,  I  will  des- 
troy the  temple  of  God? — Did  he  not  say — ''  Destroy 
this  temple^ ^ — and  '^  I  ivill  ?^^ — And  where  was  the 
great  evil  of  transposing  the  words,  and  putting  ''  / 
wilP^  before  ''  destroy ^^^  when  it  was  so  essentially  ne- 

10 


no 

cessary  to  condemn  the  deceiver  ?  But  I  suppose  it 
would  be  granted,  even  by  the  false  witness  himself, 
that  he  was  not  exactly  right.  Again,  according  to 
their  testimony,  he  was  no  friend  to  Caesar.  Whyl 
Did  he  not  pay  his  taxes  1  True  ;  but  he  would  not 
fight,  he  would  rather  turn  the  other  cheek  to  the 
smiter;  and  spake  of  another  kingdom.  If  then  Christ 
was  plausibly  and  unjustly  accused  with  aiming  to 
destroy  the  Jewish  temple,  and  supplant  the  empire  of 
Ceesar  ;  so  were  the  Shakers  with  the  above. 

It  was  in  fact  the  Christ-ians,  w^io  assumed  the  au- 
thority on  the  occasion,  and  set  out  to  enforce  a  law 
given  to  man  in  a  state  of  innocence,  for  the  fulfill- 
ment of  which  he  wholly  unfitted  himself  by  the  fall. 
Gen.  i.  28.  That  law  or  command,  as  it  respected 
fallen  man,  the  Shakers  supposed  the  Son  of  God  had 
disannulled,  and  from  it  they  conceived  they  were  re- 
deemed by  Christ,  as  well  as  from  all  outward  cere- 
monies of  atonement,  that  fallen  man  had  ever  lain 
under,  in  consequence  of  his  disobedience  ;  and 
in  claiming  this  right  of  redemption,  they  had  enough 
to  do  to  answer  the  objections  of  their  accusers,  with- 
out entering  any  accusation  against  others.  And  al- 
though in  disannulling  the  commandment  going  be- 
fore (by  which  sin  took  occasion  to  work  in  human 
nature  all  manner  of  concupiscence)  they  violated  no 
existing  law,  either  of  God  or  man,  (except  what  St. 
Paul  calls  a  law  in  the  members,  a  law  of  sin  and  death. 
Rom.  vii.)  Yet  upon  the  authority  of  Christ-ian  min- 
isters, they  have  been  publicly  condemned  as  the 
blackest  of  criminals,  and  treated  according  to  that 
character,  as  far  as  the  wholesome  laws  of  our  State 
would  dispense  with.  Then  how  far  must  it  appear 
from  being  right,  for  those  who  claimed  the  sole  pow- 
er of  judging,  and  whose  judgment  was  not  only  sanc- 
tioned by  the  shouts  of  the  multitude,  but  in  many  in- 
stances severely  executed,  to  represent  as  their  unjust 
accusers,  those  who  were  judged,  condemned,  and 
punished  according  to  their  law. 


Ill 

Ohjedion  5.  ^^  The  testimony  of  these  men  go  to 
part  man  and  wife,  and  even  encourage  men  to  beat 
and  abuse  their  wives,  and  turn  them  away." 

Answer.  How  can  that  be  parted  which  is  one? 
Did  not  God  say,  '^  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh." 
These  men  have  more  understanding  than  to  propose 
a  separation  of  this  kind.  And  therefore  the  testimo- 
ny they  bear,  takes  no  cognizance  of  man  and  wife. 
It  came  from  that  world  where  they  neither  marry  nor 
are  given  in  marriage^  hut  are  an  the  angels  of  God, 
The  testimony  cannot  be  chargeable  with  evils,  to 
which  it  may  indirectly  give  occasion,  any  more  than 
the  proclamation  of  American  independence  is  charge- 
able with  all  the  acts  of  outrage  and  cruelty,  perpetra- 
ted by  the  British  during  the  revolutionary  war ;  and 
therefore  that  some  of  the  Christ-ian  brethren^  have 
taken  occasion  from  the  testimony,  to  beat  and  abuse 
a  sister,  a  wife,  and  drive  her  off,  is  matter  of  fact. 
But  to  charge  anything  of  the  kind  to  the  Shakers^  is 
exactly  wrong.  For  although,  according  to  St.  Paul, 
there  is  neither  male  nor  female  among  them,  yet  I  am 
bold  to  say  that  since  Adam  fell,  woman  never  was  treat- 
ed by  man  with  tender  kindness  and  respect,  superior 
to  what  is  commonly  manifested  among  the  Believers. 

Objection  6.  '^  They  are  a  set  of  worldly-minded 
cunning  deceivers,  whose  religion  is  earthly,  sensual, 
and  devilish." 

Answer.  These  are  the  words  of  Brother  Stone  in 
his  letter  of  July  1806.  And  the  proof  of  this  objec- 
tion was  the  fam,a  clamosa*  "  The  Shakers  are  come 
to  take  people's  land.  Every  one  that  joins  them 
must  immediately  give  up  his  deed  to  the  Elders!" 
The  Christ-ians  were  considered  as  very  near  to  the 
Shakers  in  their  doctrine  and  worship,  is  one  reason 
why  many  things  may  have  been  imputed  to  the  lat- 
ter, which  properly   belonged  to  the  former.     Some 

*  Noisy  report. 


112 

Christ-ian  fathers,  who  had  the  general  title  of  hand 
vested  in  them,  in  which  others  had  a  lawful  partner- 
ship, refused  to  give  separate  titles,  according  to  their 
promise,  but  dispossessed  their  former  brethren  by  pro- 
fession, and  nearest  kindred  in  nature,  from  their  valu- 
able and  lawful  possessions,  merely  on  account  of  their 
faith.  Moreover,  the  Christ-ian  church  at  Paint  Lick, 
refused  to  make  a  title  to  Brother  Houston,  for  land 
which  he  had  lawfully  paid  for,  merely  on  account  of 
his  faith.  But  so  foreign  from  this,  has  been  the  con- 
duct of  the  SkakerSy  that  upon  land  which  they  pur- 
chased and  paid  for,  mainly  for  the  relief  and  benefit 
of  others,  not  less  than  eight  families  are  commodi- 
ously  settled.  This  I  mention  distinct  from  the  daily 
stream  of  beneficence  that  flows  from  their  threshold, 
for  which  they  receive  nothing  in  return  but  love  and 
thanks,  much  less  the  unlawful  surrender  of  a  deed. 
Who  then  is  the  worldly-minded,  cunning  deceiver  1 

Objection  7.  ^'  They  prophesied,  that  such  as  reject- 
ed the  testimony  would  lose  their  former  life  and 
power ;  ''  but  (says  Brother  Stone  in  his  letter  of  July) 
now  the  work  of  God  goes  on,  in  spite  of  all  the  Cal- 
vinists.  Shakers,  and  devils  in  hell.  Now  we  know 
your  prophets  are  liars." 

Answer.  The  work  of  God  never  did  go  on  in  spite 
— but  in  lov^e  and  kindness  to  all  men,  even  the  Cal- 
vinists  not  excepted.  But  while  the  Christ-ians,  upon  the 
slightest  evidence  of  the  Shakers  being  liars,  can  fall 
to  shouting  and  praising  their  God,  or  at  the  sight  of 
them,  stop  every  medium  of  information  with  loud 
cries  for  deliverance,  a  work  of  some  kind  will  no 
doubt  go  on  in  spite  of  everything  that  claims  any  re- 
lation to  the  coming  of  Christ.  But  how  long  God 
may  trouble  these  mighty  waters,  and  what  degree  of 
power  may  operate  round  about,  in  that  preparatory 
work,  has  never  been  predicted. 

As  I  conceive  much  credit  has  been  given  to  the 
boasted  power  among  the  Christ-ians,  upon  the  test  of 
the  Shakers  being  liars,  I  shall  mention  one  more  par- 


113 

ticular  upon  which  the  testimony  has  been  condemned 
as  false.     Lastly, 

''  These  men  have  testified  they  would  never  die; 
and  one  of  them  from  New-Lebanon  has  died  already, 
in  despair,  convinced  of  the  delusion." 

Answer.  They  never  asserted  that  they  would  live 
forever,  in  the  eai'thly  house  of  this  tabernacle.  But 
that  every  true  follower  of  Christ,  has  passed  from 
death  unto  everlasting  life,  is  a  truth. 

And  even  though  Brother  Thompson  had  seen  Pru- 
dence Farrington  dying  at  Turtle  Creek,  under  a  deep 
conviction  of  the  delusion,  as  plain  as  he  once  saw  the 
mark  of  the  beast  on  the  Church  to  which  she  belongs, 
and  should  affirm  that  his  vision  was  in  the  light  of 
God,  yet  his  vision  I  should  pronounce  false,  and 
contradict  the  news  of  congratulation  to  his  Christ-ian 
brethren.  And  moreover,  I  should  think  it  proper, 
for  any  person  who  had  taken  any  part  in  spreading 
such  a  report,  to  ''  eat  the  dreadful  words."  So  tena- 
cious am  I  of  reasonable  evidence. 

I  was  among  the  last  that  conversed  with  Sister 
Prudence  before  her  departure  from  the  body ;  and 
though  I  treasured  up  the  most  of  her  solemn  words, 
and  particularly'the  last,  which  were  '^  Strengthen  the 
brethren,"  yet  I  shall  only  insert,  at  this  time,  a  short 
extract  of  a  poem  composed  on  the  occasion,  to 
which  I  shall  add  an  extract  of  a  letter  to  New -Leba- 
non, from  which  the  contrast  will  appear  : 

EXTRACTS. 

******** 
"  Her  holy  examples  of  infinite  price  : 
Brought  up  in  the  gospel,  a  stranger  to  vice  ; 
Her  cross  from  the  first  she  did  faithfully  bear, 
And  finish'd  her  course  in  her  thirty-first  year : 
Her  heaven-horn  spijrit,  to  angels  akin, 
(Not  stain'd  with  the  flesh  nor  polluted  with  sin,) 
Has  now  got  releas'd  from  the  sorrows  of  earth. 
And  shares  the  full  joys  of  her  heavenly  birth." 
10* 


114 

^^  Our  precious  sister,  Prudence  Farrington,  has  fin- 
ished her  course,  and  is  buried  under  an  oak  in  the 
wilderness  of  Ohio.  She  deceased  the  eleventh  inst. 
[April,  1807]  in  the  thirty-first  year  of  her  age — a  lov- 
ing sister — a  blessed  virgin — a  holy  woman — an  heir 
of  glory  : 

She  liv'd  without  sin,  and  died  without  fear  ; 

She 's  not  as  she 's  been,  and  yet  she  is  here."* — I.  B. 

In  fine,  there  is  nothing  pertaining  to  the  testimony, 
but  has  admitted  of  objection,  false  statement,  and 
vague  report.  But  it  has  not  been  my  design  to  notice 
anything  but  what  has  been  stated  with  some  plausi- 
bility. 

Next  to  the  new  and  old  doctrine  of  the  Cross,  the 
hue-and-cry  was  raised  against  the  new  and  old  man- 
ner of  worship.  What  ?  Go  forth  in  the  dance  !  Go 
voluntarily,  without  being  jerked  1  And  say  they  are 
praising  God  in  the  dance  !  The  dances,  too,  of  them 
that  make  merry — of  them  that  serve  the  devil!  Take 
their  dances  to  serve  God!  Christ-ians,  read  your  Bi- 
bles, and  you  will  see  that  these  fellows  are  not  of 
God,  for  they  keep  not  the  Sabbath.  '^  Think,  (says 
Brother  Stone,  in  his  letter  of  July,)  "  think  seriously 
and  soberly  of  the  shocking  conduct  of  your  reveling 
mock-worship,  and  tremble."  Could  he  have  forgot- 
ten that  a  little  while  before,  when  censured  by  Dr. 
Tod,  a  brother  professor,  for  the  same  shocking  con- 
duct, his  reply  was,  that  he  had  to  move  heaven-ward 
with  him  hanging  at  his  heels.  Then  think  seriously 
and  soberly — what  is  a  Tod  at  the  heels  of  a  traveller 
in  comparison  with  a  Stone — a  great  stone?  "  0  my 
Richard  (adds  Barton)  shall  I  ever  rejoice  over  you 
as  a  penitent  prodigal?"  '^  Now  (replies  Richard)  if 
ever:  I  have  just  returned  from  feeding  the  swine, 
confessed    my   sins,  been    completely   stripped,    and 


*  Near  the  spot  to  which  Brother  Stone  would  have  flown  in  April, 
1805,  had  it  not  been  for  his  earthly  tabernacle. 


115 

clad  with  a  suit  completely  new.  The  door  has  been 
opened  into  my  Father's  house,  and  I  have  enteredjto 
go  out  no  more.  Now  the  family  begins  to  be  mer- 
ry, and  the  elder  son  to  wonder  what  it  means — 
willing  to  get  news  from  the  meanest  scullion.  Don't 
you  hear  that  it  is  MUSIC  and  DANCING?  And 
is  not  the  Father  entreating  you  to  come  in  1     Then 

<*  Brother  cast  your  anger  off, 

And  every  passion  bury  ; 
Come  in  and  share  ihe  fatted  calf, 

And  let  us  all  be  merry. 

Will  you  grieve  about  a  kid. 

When  the  calf  is  killed  ; 
If  you  come  in  when  you  are  bid, 

You  may  yet  be  filled." 


A  FEW  REFLECTIONS. 


We  live  in  what  is  called  the  United  States  of  Amer* 
ica  f-^- United  States  f     A  name  that  promises  peace 
and  happiness  to  every  citizen ;  but,   under  this  spe- 
cious name  of  Union,  what  a  picture  is  exhibited  ?    A 
great  Christian  empire,  divided  into  a  thousand   little 
kingdoms,  all  inclosed  in  the  bowels  of  a  great  re- 
public, and  each  contending  for  the  mastery.     Amer- 
ica exulting  in  her  health,  the  liberty  and    equality  of 
her  members,  and  yet  full  of  worms,  biting  and  de- 
A^ouring  one  another,  each  pursuing  a  distinct  course  to 
which  he  presumes  all  others  must  finally  give  w^ay. 
The  Presbyterian   minister,    the   Baptist,    Methodist, 
Christ-ian,  and  Church  minister,  each  proposing  to  re- 
duce the  whole  commonwealth  under  his  laws  and 
government.     In  the  midst  of  these  party  attachments, 
who  shall  be  governor,  representative,  magistrate,  ma- 
jor, captain  ?  &c.     This  question  at  once  proves  the 
spirit  of  the  union,  while  it  arouses   Christian  against 
Christian,  party  against  party,  each  to  contend  with  his 
fellow  professors,  who  shall  be  the  greatest.     TeH  it 
not  in  Great  Britain  !     Publish  it  not  in  the  streets  of 
London !  Lest  the  daughters  of  Babylon  sneer  at  the 
apparent  effects  of  civil  and  religious  liberty. 

Whence  arises  this  motley  mixture  of  kingdoms  and 
states  1    Is  it  not  through  a  grand  mistake — convert- 


117 

ing  the  Bible  into  a  civil  law-book,*  and  accounting 
tliose  to  riilej  who  adopt  it  as  such  ?  from  this  egre- 
gious error,  has  not  every  aspiring  worm  been  encour- 
aged to  form  his  separate  party,  set  himself  at  the  head 
of  it,  read  and  expound  his  laws,  bestow  privileges, 
and  execute  judgment  upon  his  subjects?  And  can  it 
be  otherwise  until  the  eye  of  common  sense  is  open  to 
see,  that  the  kingdom  of  Christ  has  nothing  to  do  with 
civil  government;  and  that  civil  government  has  no- 
thing to  do  with  the  Church  or  kingdom  of  Christ  1  Let 
this  plain  maxim  of  Christ  be  adopted  ;  of  course  that 
civil  institution,  about  which  there  has  been  such  an 
uproar  among  the  Christ-ians  of  late,  will  be  restored 
to  where  it  belongs. 

II.  That  the  abusers  of  the  Bible  have  betrayed  great 
ignorance  and  idolatry  in  assuming  the  reins  of  gov- 
ernment by  the  supposed  authority  of  that  book,  and 
given  great  occasion  of  disgust  to  the  name  of  Christ, 
is  a  truth,  that  every  man  of  good  sense  will  yet  ac- 
knowledge. Look  at  the  Church  common  prayer  book, 
established  by  a  mighty  defender  of  the  faith ;  and  it 
will  appear  that  the  subject  of  that  kingdom,  must 
either  go  unmarried  or  repeat  after  his  priest,  the  fol- 
lowing obligations  to  a  woman  : — "  With  this  ring  I 
thee  wed,  with  my  body  I  thee  worship,  and  with  all 
my  worldly  goods  I  thee  endow :  In  the  name  of  the  Fa- 
ther, and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Amen." 
''  Come  back !  Come  back,"  says  the  Christ-ian  ! 
Where?  "  To  the  Church — the  one  Church,^'  Nay  : 
let  me  rather  be  a  Hottentot,  and  worship  the  moon, 
and  have  the  liberty  of  giving  part  of  my  goods  to  the 
poor. 

The  Christ-ians  say,  "  Let  us  all  worship  one  God" 
— then  let  them  settle  the  point  who  it  shall  be.  They 
say  the  Word  of  God  (i.  e.  the  Bible)  tells  them  so  and 
so.     Very    well ;    it   says,  "  Fall   down   and  worship 

*  The  only  rule  to  direct.— See  all  systems. 


118 

me."  This  will  not  do.  T  dare  not  worship  a  book, 
and  my  soul  recoils  at  the  idea  of  worshiping"  that 
spirit  which  originally  suggested  these  words.  There- 
fore I  must  worship  according  to  my  present  faith, 
though  it  should  appear  *^  solemn  mockery  "  in  the 
eyes  of  all  the  Christian  world. 

III.  I  am  thankful  to  the  Disposer  of  all  human 
events,  that  I  was  not  more  than  seven  years  old 
when  the  American  eagle  first  stretched  her  pinions 
and  began  her  ascent  toward  the  air  of  libert}*.  And, 
therefore,  the  meridian  of  my  temporal  life  is  at  a  pe- 
riod when  reputed  fools  and  fanatics  no  longer  smoke 
on  the  altar  of  Christianity^  but  every  man's  religion 
may  be  correctly  examined,  of  whatsoever  kind  it  is. 
Surely,  if  Church  officers  knew,  they  might  as  well 
be  still  and  silent,  as  to  try  to  crowd  back  and  shut 
vip  their  flocks,  and  cry.  Wolves  !  Wolves  !  For  every 
man's  character  must  be  known  in  this  day,  and  each 
one  judged,  not  by  his  good  words  and  fair  speeches, 
but  according  to  his  WORKS. 

IV.  For  upwards  of  two  years,  I  have  studied  Shak- 
erism,  with  as  close  application  as  I  ever  bestowed  on 
the  system  of  Calvin,  and  at  least  upon  as  proper  a 
plan.  I  have  had  the  documents  of  it  open  before 
me,  without  covering  or  disguise,  i.  e.  the  people  who 
have  set  out  to  be  righteous,  and  follow  Christ,  in 
deed  and  in  truth.  And  in  all  their  actions  at  home 
and  abroad,  however  scrutinized  as  a  test  of  that  faith 
upon  which  my  salvation  was  suspended,  I  have  never 
discovered  anything  that  could  furnish  any  ground  of 
a  cavil,  but  am  bound  to  say,  that  the  same  charac- 
teristics of  a  child  of  God  which  a  Christ-ian  reads  in 
his  Bible,  I  have  been  able  to  read  in  the  daily  de- 
portment of  this  people,  and  that  without  a  blot.  A 
people  blameless  and  harmless — without  rebuke  in  the 
tnidst  of  a  crooked  and  perverse  nation^  among  whom, 
they  shine  as  lights  in  the  world ^  having  their  conversa- 


119 

Hon  honest  J  and  yet  all  manner  of  evil  spoken  against 
them  falsely.  Moreover,  their  daily  fruit  has  been 
manifested,  to  my  satisfaction,  to  be  the  fruits  of  that 
spirit  which  the  Christ-ians  say  lives  in  the  letters  of  a 
book,  viz. :  Love,  peace j  joy,  long-suffering,  gentleness^ 
goodness,  faithfulness,  meekness,  tejnperance,  against 
which  there  is  no  law.  Therefore,  I  conclude  Brother 
Dooley's  text,  Let  them  alone,  was  very  pertinent, 
when  he  came  to  preach  among-  their  neighboring 
persecutors,  had  he  not  added,  They  be  blind  leaders  of 
the  blind,  fyc. 

V.  It  is  no  matter  to  me  what  a  tree  is  called  if  its 
fruit  is  good*  If  all  my  neighbors  should  call  my 
apple-tree  a  Buckeye,  and  tell  me  that  it  grew  from 
the  seed  of  Hemlock,  this  would  not  alter  the  taste  of 
the  good  apple ;  no  more  can  any  name  destroy  my 
regard  to  a  people  that  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  right- 
eousness. 

But  though  some  may  imagine  that  the  name 
Shaker  bears  analogy  to  something  very  mean  and 
contemptible,  it  has  never  been  my  conception  of  it, 
nor  have  I  used  it  at  all  in  that  sense. 

The  first  thing  that  struck  me,  when  I  heard  that 
name,  was  that  the  universal  cry  in  the  revival  had 
been  that  God  would  shake  the  heavens  and  the  earth  ! 
Shake  out  the  things  that  were  made,  that  those  things 
that  could  not  be  shaken  might  remain.  How  then  was 
he  to  do  it  1  He  always  works  by  means  and  instru- 
ments. 

When  the  nations  were  to  be  threshed,  he  made 
Jacob  his  threshing  instrument,  of  course  the  men  of 
Jacob  were  his  threshers.  People  talk  of  the  great 
wars  of  Bonaparte,  and  the  great  sins  that  the  devil 
commits  :  yet  a  reasonable  person  will  grant  that  Bo- 
naparte wars  with  his  warriors,  and  the  devil  52715  with 
his  sinners.  Then  was  it  not  reasonable  for  the  sub- 
jects of  the  revival  to  expect  that  God  would  shake 
the  heavens  and  the  earth  with  his  Shakers  ?     Some 


120 

perceiving  this,  tried  to  substitute  the  name  Quaker^ 
but  as  this  name  was  ab'eady  appropriated  to  another 
people,  it  only  served  to  take  tlie  charge  of  their  first 
light,  and  suffer  that  abuse  which  the  name  was 
originally  supposed  to  merit,  until  it  appeared  that  the 
contrast  between  this  people  and  the  Quakers  in  their 
present  standing,  rendered  it  improper  to  call  both  by 
the  same  name  ;  therefore  the  general  appellation  has 
been  finally  adopted. — Behold  I  will  send  for  many 
fishers^  saith  the  Lord,  ajid  they  shall  fish  them^  and 
after  will  I  send  for  many  hunters^  and  they  shall  hunt 
them  from  every  mountain^  ^c — Jer.  xvi.  16.  And 
again.  Saviours  shall  come  up  on  mount  Zion,  to  judge 
the  mount  of  Esau  ;  and  the  kingdom  shall  he  the 
Lord^s. — Obadiah  21.  This  is  a  time  for  universal  lib- 
erty to  work,  and  for  each  one  to  be  know^n  and  dis- 
tinguished by  his  works  :  and  has  not  God  a  right 
to  work  as  well  as  man?  And  if  he  has  a  work  to  do 
with  mankind,  who  can  hinder?  Therefore,  if  he 
sends  out  rtmny  fishers  to  fish  them,  many  hunters  to 
hunt  them,  many  Shakers  to  shake  them,  and  many 
Saviours  to  save  them,  let  all  the  people  say — Amen. 


POSTSCRIPT. 


Since  the  testimony  of  Christ  has  been  opened  in 
this  western  coimtry,  by  John  Meacham,  Benjamin  S. 
Youngs  and  Issachar  Bates,  many  have  expressed  a 
great  desire  to  see  the  principles  of  the  Church  fully 
and  clearly  stated  ;  besides  it  has  been  the  prevailing 
wish  of  young  believers  in  general,  that  every  serious 
inquirer  should  have  their  desires  fully  answered  in 
this  respect.  This,  however,  was  not  contemplated  by 
the  present  publication.  I  pretend  not  to  comprehend, 
much  less  to  state,  the  principles  of  a  people  who  have 
been  more  than  twent}"  years  in  that  work  which  is 
justly  denominated  a  new  creation.  What  we  have 
seen  and  heard  we  testify,  but  all  these  in  comparison 
of  the  light  of  the  Church,  are  but  earthly  things  com- 
pared to  heavenly.  It  therefore  remains  with  the 
Church  and  those  who  are  thence  commissioned  to 
open  the  everlasting  gospel,  to  publish  their  distin- 
guishing doctrines,  &c.,  when  they  conceive  they  are 
thereunto  called  of  God.  And  that  the  period  is  not 
far  distant,  I  am  authorized  to  believe  from  certain  in- 
formation, that  a  work  is  now  preparing  for  the  press, 
in  which  the  principles  of  the  Church  will  be  laid  open 
from  their  proper  source  and  foundation  by  those  who 
are  in  possession  of  a  special  gift  to  that  purpose. 

11 


APPENDIX. 

CONTAINING  A  SHORT  ACCOUNT    OF  A  WORK  OF  THE  GOOD 
SPIRIT  AMONG  SOME  OF  THE  NEIGHBORING  INDIANS. 


Many  fervent  prayers  were  offered  up  in  the  revi- 
val, for  the  poor  Indians,  that  they  also  might  share  in 
the  blessed  hope  and  joyful  anticipation  of  redeeming 
love ;  and  missionaries  were  repeatedly  sent  out  from 
among  the  subjects  of  the  work,  to  convert  them  to  the 
Christian  faith,  but  with  little  success ;  as  probably, 
they  ran,  like  Ahimaaz,  before  their  tidings  were  rea- 
dy. From  some  accounts  that  were  stated  by  common 
fame,  in  the  fall  of  the  year  1804,  viz.,  that  a  great 
number  from  different  tribes  had  met  together  and  held 
a  feast  of  love  and  union,  danced  and  rejoiced  before 
the  Great  Spirit  and  proposed  to  revive  the  religion  of 
their  ancestors,  &c.  &c.,  some  were  brought  to  query 
whether  God  would  not  convert  the  heathen  in  some 
way  different  from  what  had  hitherto  been  laid  out  by 
man  : — probably  move  them  by  his  Spirit  to  flow  to  the 
Church  as  soon  as  she  was  prepared  to  receive  and  in- 
struct them,  according  to  Micah  iv.  1,  2. 

About  a  year  and  a  half  ago,  fresh  reports  broke  out 
concerning   them,  viz.,  that  a  considerable  body  of 


124 

them  had  moved  down  within  the  bomidary  line  of 
this  State,  and  were  about  forming  a  settlement.  Va- 
rious conjectures  were  agitated  concerning  them.  Some 
said  they  were  for  war — others,  that  they  were  in  pur- 
suit of  religion  and  the  means  of  an  honest  livelihood 
— were  going  to  work,  and  in  their  present  circum- 
stances were  principally  supported  by  charitable  dona- 
tions from  the  neighboring  whites. 

The  continuance  of  these  different  reports,  created 
an  anxiety  in  the  believers  at  Turtle  Creek,  toward  the 
latter  end  of  last  winter,  to  find  out  their  real  situation, 
both  in  respect  to  things  temporal  and  spiritual.  Ac- 
cordingly on  the  17th  of  March  three  of  the  brethren 
set  out  in  search  of  them,  and  on  the  23d  of  the  month 
arrived  at  their  village.  What  they  discovered  on  the 
occasion  is  briefly  comprised  in  the  following  extracts 
from  their  Journal.  ''  When  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
village,  the  first  object  that  attracted  our  view  Avas  a 
large  frame  house,  about  150  by  34  feet  in  size,  sur- 
rounded with  50  or  60  smoking  cottages.  We  rode  up 
and  saluted  some  men  who  were  standing  before  the 
door  of  a  tent,  and  by  a  motion  of  the  hand  were  di- 
rected to  another  wigwam  where  we  found  one  who 
could  talk  English.  We  asked  him  if  their  feelings 
were  friendly. 

Ji,  O  yes,  we  are  all  brothers. 

Q.  Where  are  your  chiefs — we  wish  to  have  a  talk 
with  them  ? 

A.  They  are  about  4  miles  off  making  sugar. 

Q.  What  are  their  names'? 
■    A.   Lal-ln-e-tsee-ka,  and  Te-kum-tha. 

Q.  Can  any  of  them  talk  English  % 

A.  No  :  but  there  is  a  good  interpreter  there,  George 
Blue-jacket.  He  has  gone  to  school,  and  can  read  and 
talk  well. 

Q.  What  is  that  big  house  for? 

A,  To  worship  the  Great  Spirit. 

Q.  How  do  you  worship  ? 

A,  Mostly  in  speaking. 


125 

Q,  Who  is  your  chief  speaker  ? 

A,  Our  prophet,  Lal-lu-e-tsee-ka.  He  converses 
with  the  Good  Spirit,  and  tells  us  how  to  be  good. 

Q.  Do  all  that  live  here,  believe  in  him  ? 

A,  Yes,  we  all  believe — he  can  dream  to  God. 

Conducted  by  a  pilot,  we  repaired  to  the  sugar-camp, 
w^here  30  or  40  were  assembled  with  the  prophet,  who 
was  very  sick  and  confined  to  his  tent.  We  expressed 
our  desire  of  having  a  talk  with  him.  But  George  in- 
formed us  that  he  could  not  talk  to  us,  that  ministers 
of  the  white  people,  would  not  believe  what  he  said, 
but  counted  it  foolish  and  laughed  at  it,  therefore  he 
could  not  talk  ;  besides  he  had  a  pain  in  his  head,  and 
was  very  sick.  After  informing  him  we  were  not  such 
ministers,  he  asked : 

Do  you  believe  a  person  can  have  true  knowledge 
of  the  Great  Spirit,  in  the  heart,  without  going  to  school 
and  learning  to  read  ? 

A,  We  believe  they  can ;  and  that  is  the  best  kind 
of  knowledge. 

After  some  talk  of  this  kind  with  George,  he  went 
into  i!ie  prophet's  tent,  where  several  chiefs  were  col- 
lected, and  after  continuing  their  council  there  about 
an  liour,  Lal-lu-e-tsee-ka  came  out  and  took  his  seat 
in  a  circle  of  about  30  persons  who  sat  round  the  fire. 
All  were  silent — every  countenance  grave  and  solemn, 
when  he  began  to  speak.  His  discourse  continued 
about  half  an  hour,  in  which  the  most  pungent  elo- 
quence expressed  his  deep  and  heart-felt  sense  of  what 
he  spoke,  but  in  language  which  George  said,  he  could 
not  correctly  translate  into  English.  However  the 
general  sense,  he  occasionally  communicated  during 
our  stay. 

In  the  first  place,  that  he  (the  prophet)  had  formerly 
lived  on  White-river ;  had  been  a  doctor  and  a  very 
wicked  man.  About  two  years  ago,  while  attending 
on  sick  people  at  Attawa,  in  a  time  of  general  sickness, 
he  was  struck  with  a  deep  and  awful  sense  of  his  sins 
— cried  mightily  to  the  Good  Spirit  to  show  him  some 

11* 


126 

way  of  escape,  and  in  his  great  distress,  fell  into  a  vi- 
sion, in  which  he  appeared  to  be  travelling  along  a 
road,  and  came  to  where  it  forked — the  right  hand  way 
he  was  informed  led  to  happiness  and  the  left  to 
misery. 

This  fork  in  the  road,  he  was  told,  represented  that 
stage  of  life  in  which  people  were  convicted  of  sin ; 
and  those  who  took  the  right  hand  way  quit  every- 
thing that  was  wicked  and  became  good.  But  the  left 
hand  road  was  for  such  as  would  go  on  and  be  bad,  af- 
ter they  were  shown  the  right  way.  They  all  move 
slow,  till  they  come  here,  but  when  they  pass  the  fork 
to  the  left,  then  they  go  swift.  On  the  left  hand  way 
he  saw  three  houses — from  the  first  and  second  were 
pathways  that  led  across  into  the  right  hand  road,  but 
no  way  leading  from  the  third  :  This,  said  he,  is  eternity. 
He  saw  vast  crowds  going  swift  along  the  left  hand 
road,  and  great  multitudes  in  each  of  the  houses,  un- 
der different  degrees  of  judgment  and  misery.  He 
mentioned  particularly  the  punishment  of  the  drunk- 
ard. One  presented  him  a  cup  of  liquor  resembling 
melted  lead  ;  if  he  refused  to  drink  it  he  would  urge 
him,  saying,  Come,  drink, — you  used  to  love  whis- 
ky. And  upon  drinking]  it,  his  bowels  were  seized 
with  an  exquisite  burning.  This  draught  he  had  often 
to  repeat.  At  the  last  house  their  torment  appeared 
inexpressible;  under  which  he  heard  them  scream, 
cry  pitiful,  and  roar  like  the  falls  of  a  river.  He  was 
afterwards  (said  the  interpreter)  taken  along  the  right 
hand  way,  which  was  all  interspersed  with  flowers  of 
delicious  smell,  and  showed  a  house  at  the  end  of  it 
where  was  everything  beautiful,  sweet  and  pleasant, 
and  still  went  on  learning  more  and  more  ;  but  in  his 
first  vision  he  saw  nothing  but  the  state  of  the  wicked  ; 
from  which,  the  Great  Spirit  told  him  to  go  and  warn 
his  people  of  their  danger,  and  call  upon  them  to  put 
away  their  sins,  and  be  good.  Whereupon  he  began 
to  speak  to  them  in  great  distress,  and  would  weep 
and  tremble,  while  addressing  them.     Some  believed 


127 

— were  greatly  alarmed — began  to  confess  their  sins — 
forsake  them,  and  set  out  to  be  good.  This  spread  the 
alarm,  and  brought  many  others  from  different  tribes 
to  see  and  hear,  who  were  affected  in  like  manner. 
But  some  of  the  chiefs  who  were  very  wicked,  would 
not  believe,  and  tried  to  keep  the  people  from  believ- 
ing, and  encouraged  them  on  in  their  former  wicked 
ways.  Whereupon  the  Great  Spirit  told  him  to  sepa- 
rate from  these  wicked  chiefs  and  their  people,  and 
showed  him  particularly  where  to  come,  towards  the 
big  ford  where  the  peace  was  concluded  with  the  Amer- 
icans ;  and  there  make  provisicm  to  receive  and  instruct 
all  from  the  different  tribes  that  were  willing  to  be 
good. 

Accordingly  all  that  believed  had  come  and  settled 
there,  and  a  great  many  Indians  had  come  to  hear, 
and  many  more  were  expected.  That  some  white 
people  were  afraid,  but  they  were  foolish  ;  for  they 
would  not  hurt  any  one. 

We  asked  a  number  of  questions  : 

Q.  Do  you  believe  that  all  mankind  are  gone  away 
from  the  Good  Spirit  by  Avicked  works  ? 

A,  Yes  ;  that  is  what  we  believe  :  And  the  prophet 
feels  great  pity  for  all. 

Q.  Do  you  believe  that  the  Good  Spirit  once  made 
himself  known  to  the  world,  by  a  man  that  was  called 
Christ  7 

A,  Yes,  we  believe  it,  and  the  Good  Spirit  has 
showed  our  prophet  what  has  been  in  many  genera- 
tions, and  he  says  he  wants  to  talk  with  some  white 
people  about  these  things. 

Q.  What  sins  does  your  prophet  speak  most 
against  % 

A,  Witchcraft,  poisoning  people,  fighting,  murder- 
ing, drinking  whisky,  and  beating  their  wives  be- 
cause they  will  not  have  children.  All  such  as  will 
not  leave  off  these,  go  to  Eternity — he  knows  all  bad 
people  that  commit  fornication,  and  can  tell  it  all  from 
seven  years  old. 


128 

Q.  What  do  those  do  who  have  been  wicked,  when 
they  believe  the  prophet  ? 

A,  They  confess  all. 

Q.  To  whom  do  they  confess  1 

A.  To  the  prophet  and  four  chiefs. 

Q.  Do  they  confess  all  the  bad  things  they  ever 
did  ? 

A,  All  from  seven  years  old.  And  cry  and  tremble 
when  they  come  to  confess. 

Q.  How  did  you  learn  this  %  The  Roman  Catholics 
confess  their  sins. 

A.  Some  Wiandots  joined  the  Roman  Catholics  at 
Detroit,  who  now  believe  in  om*  prophet.  Roman 
Catholics  confess  their  sins,  but  go  and  do  bad  again. 
Our  people  forsake  their  bad  ways  when  they  have 
confessed. 

They  asked  us  several  questions  concerning  our 
people,  and  particularly  whether  they  drank  whisky  ; 
and  appeared  not  a  little  rejoiced,  to  learn  that  there 
were  some  among  the  whites,  so  far  reclaimed,  as  to 
lay  aside  the  use  of  that  pernicious  liquor.  We  in- 
quired how  they  made  out  for  provisions.  They  an- 
swered they  had  none.  So  many  people  came  there 
— eat  up  all  they  had  raised. 

The  only  meal  we  saw  them  eat,  was  a  turkey  di- 
vided among  30  or  40.  And  the  only  relief  we  could 
afford  them,  was  ten  dollars  for  the  purpose  of  buying 
corn. 

After  the  evening  conversation  closed,  we  concluded 
to  return  to  the  village,  with  George  and  several  others; 
and  mounted  our  horses.  It  was  now  in  the  dusk  of 
the  evening,  and  the  full  moon  just  rising  above  the 
horizon,  when  one  of  their  speakers  stood  up  in  an  al- 
ley, between  the  camps,  and  spoke  for  about  fifteen 
minutes,  with  great  solemnit}^,  which  was  heightened  at 
every  pause,  with  a  loud  seguoy  from  the  surrounding 
assembly.  On  this  occasion,  our  feelings  were  like  Ja- 
cob's when  he  cried  out,  ''  How  dreadful  is  this  place  ! 
Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place  /"     And  the  world 


129 

know  it  not.     With  these  impressions  we  returned  to 
the  village,  and  spent  the  night. 

Next  morning,  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  one  of  their 
speakers  mounted  a  log,  near  the  S.  E.  corner  of  the 
village,  and  began  the  morning  service  with  a  loud 
voice,  in  thanksgiving  to  the  Great  Spirit .  He  con- 
tinued his  address  for  near  an  hour.  The  people  were 
all  in  their  tents,  some  at  the  distance  of  fifteen  or 
twenty  rods ;  yet  they  could  all  distinctly  hear,  and 
gave  a  solemn  and  loud  assent,  which  sounded  from 
tent  to  tent,  at  every  pause.  While  we  stood  in  his 
view,  at  the  end  of  the  meeting-house,  on  rising  ground, 
from  which  we  had  a  prospect  of  the  surrounding  wig- 
wams, and  the  vast  open  plain  or  prairie,  to  the  south 
and  east,  and  which  looks  over  the  big  fort,  toward 
the  north,  for  the  distance  of  two  miles,  we  felt  as  if 
we  were  among  the  tribes  of  Israel,  on  their  march  to 
Canaan.  Their  simplicity  and  unaffected  zeal  for  the 
increase  of  the  work  of  the  Good  Sjnrit — their  ardent 
desires  for  the  salvation  of  their  unbelieving  kindred, 
with  that  of  all  mankind — their  willingness  to  under- 
go hunger,  fatigue,  hard  labor  and  sufferings,  for  the 
sake  of  those  who  came  to  learn  the  way  of  righteous- 
ness— and  the  high  expectations  they  had,  of  multi- 
tudes flocking  down  to  hear  the  prophet  the  ensuing 
summer,  &c.,  were  considerations  truly  affecting; — 
while  Ske-law-wa  hailed  the  opening  day  with  loud 
aspirations  of  gratitude  to  the  Good  Spirit ;  and  en- 
couraged the  obedient  followers  of  Divine  light  to  per- 
severe. 

They  showed  us  several  letters  of  friendship  from 
the  Governor  of  Ohio,  Gen.  Whiteman  and  others,  from 
which  they  appeared  thankful  that  the  Americans  be- 
lieved their  dispositions  to  be  peaceable  and  brotherly. 
Their  marks  of  industry  were  considerable,  not  only 
in  preparing  ground  for  cultivation ;  but  also  in  hew- 
ing and  preparing  timber  for  more  commodious  build- 
ings. From  all  we  could  gather,  from  their  account 
of  the  work,  and  of  their  faith  and  practice — what  we 


130 

heard  and  felt  in  their  evening  and  morning  worship 
— their  peaceable  disposition,  and  attention  to  indust- 
ry ;  we  were  induced  to  believe  that  God,  in  very  deed, 
was  mightily  at  work  among  them.  And  under  this 
impression,  we  invited  three  or  four  of  them  to  come 
down  and  see  us,  as  soon  as  they  found  it  conve- 
nient." 

Near  the  middle  of  June  upwards  of  twenty  appeared 
at  Turtle  Creek,  encamped  in  the  woods  at  a  small 
distance  from  the  Church,  and  tarried  four  days.  They 
had  worship  every  evening  at  their  encampment ;  and 
several  on  the  Sabbath  attended  the  meeting  of  the 
Believers,    and   behaved    with   order   and    decorum. 
During  their  stay  they  conducted  with  peace  and  ci- 
vility, and  received  no  contrary  treatment  from  any  in 
the  place.     And  to  relieve,  in  some  degree,  the  press- 
ing wants  of  hungry  families  at  home,  27  horses  were 
loaded  back  with  provision,  from  among  the  Believ- 
ers.    Yet  this  act  of  charity,  however  small,  did  not 
long  escape  the  censorious  reflections  of  some  hard- 
hearted mortals  ;  but  even  furnished  a  pretext  for  im- 
plications the  most  monstrous  and  unreasonable.  How- 
ever, in  this,  as  in  all  other  cases  of  the  kind,  those 
who  busied  themselves  about  what  did  not  concern 
them,  were  much  divided  in  their  opinion.    Some  had 
it,  that  a  number  of  the  Indians  had  joined  the  Shakers, 
and   many  more  were  coming  on.     Others,  that  an 
Indian   had    offered  to    confess  his  sins,  but  that  the 
Shakers  could  not  understand  him  ;  and  therefore  the 
Indians  were  convinced  too,  that  the  Shakers  were  de- 
ceivers.    Others  tried  to  make  believe  that  the  Shak- 
ers were  encouraging  them  to  war — or  at  least  to  con- 
tend for  the  land  on  which  they  had  settled.     And 
some  were  foolish  enough  to  go  all  tbe  way  to  the  vil- 
lage, and   put  on   a  mask  of  hypocrisy,  to  find  out 
whether  this  was  not  the  case.     Of  all   this  trouble, 
both  of  mind  and  body,  such  might  have  been  saved, 
had  they  accustomed  themselves,  at  an  earlier  period, 


131 

to  believe  those  who  tell  the  truth  and  nothing  but  the 
truth. 

About  the  12th  of  August  [1807J  they  were  visited 
again  by  two  of  the  brethren  from  Turtle  Creek,  who 
found  them  in  possession  of  the  same  peaceable  and 
brotherly  spirit.  They  had  but  little  conversation  with 
them,  yet  obtained  abundant  satisfaction  by  attending 
their  meeting,  which  continued  from  a  little  after  dark 
till  the  sun  was  an  hour  high  the  next  morning. 

The  meeting  was  opened  with  a  lengthy  discourse, 
delivered  by  the  prophet ;  after  which  they  assembled 
in  a  close  crowd,  and  continued  their  worship  by  sing- 
ing and  shouting,  that  might  have  been  heard  at  least 
to  the  distance  of  two  miles. 

Their  various  songs,  and  perfect  harmony  in  'sing- 
ing, shouting,  &c.,  rendered  the  meeting  very  solemn. 
But  all  this  appeared  far  inferior  to  that  solemn  fear  of 
God,  hatred  of  sin,  and  that  peace,  love  and  harmony 
which  they  manifested  among  each  other.  They 
needed  no  invitation  to  pay  another  visit  to  Turtle 
Creek  ;  nor  were  they  forbidden.  Therefore,  pursu- 
ant to  their  own  choice,  a  number  of  them  appeared 
again  at  the^Church,  August  29th,  and  were  received 
with  usual  kindness  and  charity.  On  this  occasion, 
some  in  the  neighborhood  expressed  their  uneasiness 
lest  there  was  some  mischievous  plot  carrying  on.  But 
amidst  the  threats  of  the  ignorant  or  misinformed,  the 
Shawnese  testified  that  they  were  wholly  for  peace, 
and  abundantly  proved  it  by  their  meekness,  gentle- 
ness and  forbearance.  The  only  expression  like  re- 
sentment that  I  heard  from  them  on  the  occasion,  was 
from  Nancy,  the  Interpreter,  while  a  bold  advocate  for 
the  New  Christian  doctrine,  was  boasting  how  the 
white  people  could  cut  them  off.  She  said  they  were 
for  nothing  but  peace  ;  but  if  white  people  would  go 
to  war,  they  would  be  destroyed  by  a  day  of  judgment, 
that  not  one  soul  would  be  left  on  the  face  of  the 
earth. 

Although  these  poor  Shawnese  have  had  no  particu- 


132 

lar  instruction  but  what  they  received  by  the  outpour- 
ing of  the  Spirit,  yet  in  point  of  real  light  and  under- 
standing, as  well  as  behavior,  they  shame  the  Chris- 
tian Avorld.  Therefore  of  that  Spirit  Avhich  hath 
wrought  so  great  a  change,  the  Believers  at  Turtle 
Creek  are  not  ashamed  ;  yet  they  are  far  from  wish- 
ing them  to  turn  to  the  right  hand  or  to  the  left,  to 
form  an  external  union  with  them  or  any  other  peo- 
ple. But  they  are  willing  that  God  should  carry  on  his 
work  among  them  without  interruption,  as  he  thinks 
proper. 

Lord,  what  is  mani  Those  great  prophets,  Mar- 
shal, Stone,  Thompson,  &c.,  who  were  a  few  years 
ago  crying  to  sinners  to  repent,  trembling  at  the  view 
of  their  danger,  searching  out  and  condemning  sin  and 
all  the  false  doctrines  invented  to  palliate  it,  now  build- 
ing up  the  same  wicked  creatures  in  their  sins,  and  by 
vain  philosophy,  and  a  perversion  of  the  Sacred  Scrip- 
tures, encouraging  them  to  hope  for  salvation  in  some 
future  day  ;  while  the  trembling  Shawnee,  obedient  to 
the  Good  Spirit  in  Lal-lu-e-tsee-ka,  Wi-apier-sen-Avaw, 
Te-kum-tha,  and  Cum-skaw-kaw,  confesses  and  for- 
sakes his  wicked  ways,  and  sets  out,  not  merely  in  a 
new  faith  or  new  doctrine,  but  in  newness  of  life  and 
good  ivorks.  May  not  that  saying  of  St.  Paul  be  ap- 
plicable in  such  a  case  :  ''  The  heart  of  this  people  has 
waxed  gross,  and  their  ears  are  dull  of  hearing,  and 
their  eyes  have  they  closed,  &c.  Therefore  be  it 
known,  that  the  salvation  of  God  is  sent  to  the  Gen- 
tiles, and  they  will  hear  it.'' 


OBSERVATIONS 


ON 


CHURCH    GOVERNMENT, 


BY   THE 


PRESBYTERY    OF    SPRINGFIELD; 


TO   WHICH    IS    ADDED 

THE  LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT 

OF  THAT  REVEREND  BODY  : 

WITH  A  PREFACE  AND  NOTES,  BY  THE  EDITOR. 


*'  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord — make  straight  in  the  desert  a  highway 

for  our  God." 
"  The  word  of  our  God  shall  stand  forever."  Isaiah. 


NEW    YORK: 

REPRINTED    BY    EDWARD    O.   JENKINS, 
No.    114   Nassau    Street. 

1846. 
12 


PREFACE. 


on  Chnrch 
yeao  agxx,  in  the 
WiU  and  T 
wovii:  "At 
pare  ibr   tJie 
Church 
beantHni 
stiipt  of  humaji 

lior  tke  abore 


Concerning   these 
worthT  of  notice : 

1.  ThM  dtey  irere 
^e  Fi  iw  1  y  ReviTal^  by 
aie  rnitxnt  to  tkie  Lut  WM  and  T 
■gatJ  as  tbetr  last  le^cj  to  those 
npon  theai  as  laifintrr-  of  the 

2.  It  is  eviieit.  faHt  the 


that 


136 

men  considered  the  true  primitive  power  of  Church 
Government  to  have  been  lost  from  all  the  denomina- 
tions— that  they  themselves  had  it  not — that  God  was 
now  about  to  revive  it  in  these  latter  days  by  the  mighty 
out-pourings  of  his  Spirit — and  that  they  dissolved 
their  presbyterial  union,  which  they  considered  as  Anti- 
christian,  in  hope  of  receiving  the  true  power  from  on 
high  when  it  should  be  manifested. 

Although  it  was  contemplated,  both  before  and  af- 
ter the  Presbytery  dissolved,  to  have  the  Observations 
come  forward  to  the  public  more  full  and  complete 
than  they  appear  at  present — and  to  this  end  the  mate- 
rials were  put  into  my  hand — yet  to  avoid  unnecessary 
reflections  from  such  as  might  seek  occasion,  I  have 
neither  (designedly)  added  nor  diminished,  nor  altered 
a  single  sentence. 

As  the  Presbytery  honestly  confessed,  that  from  the 
connection  in  which  they  stood  when  the  Observations 
were  written,  ''  they  were  off  the  foundation  of  the 
apostles  and  the  prophets  of  which  Christ  himself  is 
the  chief  corner  stone,"  it  need  not  therefore  seem 
strange  if  some  things  in  their  writings  should  appear 
dark  and  inconsistent.  For  instance,  whether  the  Di- 
vine Spirit  has  its  abode  in  the  human  heart,  or  in  the 
letter  of  the  Scriptures,  is  left  rather  uncertain  in  some 
part  of  the  Observations  ;  and  this  will  no  doubt  ever 
remain  a  doubtful  question  with  those  who  are  discon- 
nected from  the  true  foundation.  But  considering  the 
Presbytery  as  standing  in  such  a  situation,  their  Ob- 
servations are  no  doubt  astonishingly  bright  in  the 
main,  and  may  be  of  great  service  to  the  honest  soul 
that  is  sincerely  inquiring  the  way  to  Zion.     And  to 


137 

such  it  is  particularly  dedicated,  as  the  last  legacy  of  a 
dying  friend. 

The  Observations  were  not  intended  as  any  law, 
rule,  or  form  of  discipline  for  the  government  of  any 
Church,  but  merely  to  describe  that  Church  which  is 
governed  by  an  internal  law,  without  any  written  form 
of  words,  and  thereby  direct  the  inquiring  mind  to 
the  true  foundation  of  God  when  it  should  appear. 
In  every  dispensation  of  Divine  grace,  God  has  still 
given  the  shadow  before  the  substance  ;  the  pattern  of 
things  in  the  heavens,  before  the  heavenly  things 
themselves  :  Therefore  consider  the  following  as  the 
example  and  shadow  of  those  heavenly  things  which 
thousands  expected  to  be  substantiated  by  means  of 
the  late  revival. 

Spiritual  light  is  of  an  increasing  nature,  measured 
to  us  as  we  are  able  to  receive  it.  We  could  not  bear 
to  see  everything  at  once,  which  respects  the  kingdom 
of  God.  The  w^ork  of  God  is  gradual :  his  kingdom 
is  not  erected  all  at  once.  Who  hath  heard  such  a 
thing  ?  Who  hath  seen  such  things  ?  Shall  the  earth 
be  made  to  bring  forth  in  one  day  ?  Shall  a  nation  be 
born  at  once  ? — Isa.  Ixvi.  8. 

If  the  kingdom  of  God  does  not  immediately  appear, 
according  to  our  layings  out,  we  ought  not  to  imagine 
that  God  is  slack  concerning  his  promise.  Men  may 
alter  and  fail  but  God  cannot.  Therefore  all  who 
have  received  light  from  God  to  see  the  approaching 
glory  of  Zion,  in  this  latter  day,  may  rest  assured  that 
not  one  tittle  of  what  God  has  revealed  shall  fail. 

Let  none  imagine  that  Christ  delayeth  his  coming, 
and  from  thence  take  occasion  to  bury  their  talent,  to 

12* 


138 

hide  and  conceal  what  they  have  manifestly  received 
of  God  ;  for  the  day  is  near  when  he  will  reckon  with 
each  one  according  to  what  they  have  received,  and 
require  his  own  with  usury.  From  all  who  have  re- 
ceived any  measure  of  Divine  truth  and  power,  God 
does  expect  an  increase  of  the  same :  and  to  be  five- 
fold, or  ten-fold  more  deeply  immersed  in  what  the 
world  have  been  accustomed  to  call  enthusiasm,  than 
at  first,  will  be  no  unfavorable  situation  at  the  day  of 
final  reckoning". 

Such  as  have  been  warped  aside  from  the  light  in 
which  they  once  stood,  may  now  view  the  Observa- 
tions very  differently  from  what  they  would  when 
they  were  first  written.  But  if  they  should  now  be 
unable  to  comprehend  the  pattern,  must  it  not  be  "  a 
vexation  to  understand  the  report,"  when  the  sub- 
stance comes  forward.  According  to  the  saying  of  the 
prophet — "  If  thou  hast  run  with  the  footmen^  and 
they  have  wearied  thee,  then  how  canst  thou  contend 
with  horses  ?  And  if  in  the  land  of  peace,  wherein 
thou  trustedst,  they  wearied  thee,  then  how  wilt  thou 
do  in  the  swelling  of  Jordan  ? — Jeremiah  xii.  5. 

THE  EDITOR. 

IJ|7^  For  further  information  respecting  this  publi- 
cation, those  who  have  opportunity  may  inquire  of 
Matthew   Houston,    John   Dunlavy,   or   Richard 

M'Nemar. 

Turtle  Creek,  June  15,  1807. 


OBSERVATIONS,  ETC 


Truth  has  its  foundation  in  the  nature  of  God,  and 
is  copied  out  in  his  word.  Like  the  Eternal  himself, 
it  is  one ;  and  is  as  necessary  to  the  preservation  of 
the  soul,  as  food  to  the  body,  or  heat  and  moisture  to 
the  plant.  And  yet,  alas  !  that  best  and  only  pre- 
servative of  the  noble  mind,  is  unnaturally  despised 
and  rejected  of  men. 

The  Saviour  of  sinners,  who  calls  himself  the  truth, 
was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us  ;  but  how  few, 
comparatively,  beheld  his  glory.  The  men  of  the 
world  knew  him  not,  therefore  they  did  to  him  what 
they  listed.  But  though  he  was  put  to  death  in  the 
flesh,  yet  he  was  quickened  by  the  spirit,  and  now 
liveth  forevermore.  The  world  seeth  him  not,  but 
Christians  see  him ;  for  he  is  in  them,  and  shall  be 
with  them  :  and  because  he  lives  they  shall  live  also. 
He  is  the  same  in  his  word  that  he  was  in  human 
flesh ;  and  in  every  form  his  treatment  has  been  the 
same.  How  often,  even  among  us,  has  he  been  cru- 
cified afresh,  and  put  to  an  open  shame  ;  pronounced 
powerless,  dead, — and  buried  among  the  rubbish  of 
human  tradition.  But  amidst  all  this  infamy,  the 
blessed  truth  has  been  preserved,  that  not  a  bone  of  him 
is  broken.  And  has  not  a  great  stone  (the  Confession 
of  faith)  been  rolled  off  him  1  Has  he  not  risen  in- 
deed 7  and  has  not  the  earth  quaked  at  his  resurrec- 


140 

tion  ?  Surely  the  word  of  God  could  not  be  bound  ; 
it  was  impossible  that  he  should  be  holden  of  death. 
He  is  risen  indeed,  and  we  are  witnesses  of  his  resur- 
rection, and  do  testify  that  this  is  he  whom  God  has 
appointed  to  be  the  judge  of  both  the  quick  and  the 
dead. 

We  have  already  shown  in  our  view  of  the  gospel^ 
that  it  is  by  the  eternal  Word  that  we  are  to  be  new 
created  ;  the  inquiry  now  before  us  is.  How  are  we  to 
be  governed  ?  Must  we  be  kept  by  the  same  power 
through  faith  unto  sahmtion  J  abide  in  the  light  as  he  is 
in  the  light  J  have  our  fellowship  with  the  Father  and 
with  his  Son  Jesus  Christy  and  grow  up  in  him  in  all 
things  who  is  the  head  ?  or  must  the  dispensation  be 
changed — the  Creator  withdraw  and  hide  himself, 
and  leave  the  subjects  of  his  grace  to  certain  delegated 
powers,  ordained  to  scatter  and  divide ;  to  be  shut  up 
in  particular  apartments,  and  prepared  for  heaven  by 
certain  and  definite  forms? 

It  will  be  granted  that  he  who  creates^  has  a  right 
to  govern.  Upon  this  principle  God  is  acknowledged 
to  be  the  governor  of  the  world.  It  will  also  be 
granted,  that  he  who  has  wisdom  and  power  to  create^ 
has  also  to  govern  ;  and  that  the  same  power  which 
brings  any  system  into  being,  is  necessary  for  its  pre- 
servation. We  learn  that  God  created  all  things  by 
Jesus  Christ,  and  made  him  the  head  over  all  things 
to  his  body,  that  is,  the  Church.  His  eternal  powder 
and  Godhead  is  the  nail,  upon  which  the  glory  of  his 
house  is  suspended.  We  have  know^n  Christ  after 
the  flesh,  and  acted  as  vicegerents  in  his  room,  and 
by  his  supposed  authority,  but  now  henceforth  know 
we  him  710  more  in  such  a  point  of  light.  He  is  the 
same  yesterday^  to-day  and  forever.  He  is  the  everlast- 
ing Father^  the  priiice  of  peace.  Through  the  veil  of 
the  flesh,  God  had  entrance  into  the  world — that  God 
who  was  the  same  from  the  beginning :  He  promised 
to  be  with  those  that  love  him  unto  the  end  of  the 


141 

world.  Jesus  promised  to  send  the  Comforter,  that 
is,  the  Holy  Ghost,  to  abide  with  his  people  forever. 
If  this  spirit  of  truth,  which  works  by  love  and  puri- 
fies the  heart,  can  govern  an  individual,  why  not  the 
whole  body?  Would  it  be  an  introduction  to  anar- 
chy, should  all  the  human  family  come  under  the 
influence  and  government  of  this  one  spirit  1  And 
can  we  suppose  that  any  external  rules  could  be  more 
productive  of  order  and  harmony?  For  example,  if 
the  principle  of  love  be  sufficient  to  regulate  the  con- 
duct of  one  man  towards  his  wife,  why  may  it  not 
influence  two  ?  and  if  two,  why  not  a  thousand  1  But 
if  the  principle  of  love  be  wanting,  can  any  external 
form  of  government  and  discipline  make  him  a  good 
husband  1 

Men  have  been  generally  fond  of  mending  what 
they  supposed  God  had  left  imperfect ;  filling  up  and 
supplying  what  they  judged  deficient,  and  making 
plain  what  Divine  wisdom  had  left  in  the  dark.  Thus 
have  they  wandered  from  the  plain  simple  rule  of 
God's  word,  and  taken  the  reins  of  government  into 
their  own  hands.  They  have  changed  or  amended, 
added  or  diminished,  as  times  and  circumstances  made 
necessary,  till  at  length  the  Church  has  become  every- 
thing, or  anything,  but  what  it  should  be. 

Should  we  attempt  to  impose  any  form  of  govern- 
ment upon  the  Church,  we  should  justly  be  abandoned 
by  every  child  of  gospel  libert}^.  This  is  not  left  for 
us,  nor  any  set  of  men  in  the  world,  to  do.  The 
author  of  the  Scriptures  has  not  left  us  to  supply  any- 
thing, either  in  doctrine,  discipline  or  government. 
The  precepts  and  examples  of  Christ  and  his  apostles 
are  sufficient,  and  left  on  record  for  this  very  purpose. 
The  government  of  the  Church,  like  the  gospel  itself, 
is  exceedingly  plain  and  simple.  If  we  advert  to  the 
New  Testament,  we  shall  plainly  see,  what  is  the  na- 
ture of  the  Christian  Church — who  are  its  members — 


142 

the  mode  of  constitution — its  union — communion- 
government  and  discipline. 


I. THE  NATURE  OF  THE  CHRISTIAN  CHURCH. 

The  Church  in  Scriptures  is  denominated  the  king- 
dom of  heaven,  or  the  kingdom  of  God.  This  Church 
is  spiritual.  '^  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.^^ 
John  xviii.  36.  "  They  are  not  of  the  world,  even  as  I 
am  not  of  the  world.^^  John  xvii.  16.  It  is  invisible. 
The  natural  eye  cannot  see  it ;  for  "  except  a  man  he 
horn  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God.^^  John 
iii.  3.  '*  Therefore  the  world  knoweth  tis  not,  hecause 
it  knew  him  not,^^  1  John  iii.  1.  "  The  kingdom  of  God 
Cometh  not  with  ohservation  ;  neither  shall  they  say,  lo 
here,  or  lo  there  ;  for  hehold,  the  kingdom  of  God  is 
within  [among,  Gr.]  you,^^  Luke  xvii.  20,  21. 

Hence  we  see  the  reason  why  Christ  spoke  so  often 
to  those  who  w^ere  without  this  kingdom  in  parables  ; 
for  they  being  in  a  state  of  unbelief,  could  not  under- 
stand :  ''  To  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the 
kingdom  of  God,  but  to  them  that  are  without,  all  things 
are  done  in  parables ;  that  seeing  they  may  see  and  not 
understand,  ^'c."  Mark  iv.  11.  While  men  reject  the 
testimony  of  Christ,  respecting  plain  facts,  which  they 
can  understand,  they  reject  himself;  and  therefore 
remain  in  darkness,  incapable  of  receiving  Divine 
light  into  their  souls.  Thus  when  Christ  told  Nico- 
demus,  "-  Ye  must  be  horn  again,^^  he  replies  with 
astonishment,  ''  How  can  these  things  6e,"  Jesus  an- 
swered and  said  unto  him,  ^^  Art  thou  a  master  in 
Israel,  and  knowest  not  these  things.  Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  thee,  we  speak  that  we  do  know,  and  testify  that 
we  have  seen,  and  ye  receive  not  our  witness.  If  I  have 
told  you  earthly  things,  and  ye  believe  not,  how  shall  ye 
believe,  if  I  tell  you  of  heavenly  things. ^^  John  iii. 
''  The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit 


o 


14 

of  God  ;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto  him :  neither  can 
he  know  thein^  because  they  are  spiritually  discerned.'^^ 
1  Cor.  ii.  14.  '^  But  luethat  is  spiritual  judgeth  [or  dis- 
cerneth]  all  things  ;  yet  he  himself  is  judged  \or  dis- 
cerned] of  no  man.^^  v.  15.  Men  in  this  state  are  not 
only  incapable  of  receiving  the  things  of  the  Spirit, 
but  also  incapable  of  receiving  the  Spirit  himself. 
''  Whom  the  world  cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  him 
not,  neither  knoweth  him  J  but  ye  know  him  for  he 
dwelleth  with  you,  and  shall  be  in  you.^^  John  xiv.  17. 
it  is  not  surprising  then,  if  Christians  are  unseen  and 
unknown  in  the  world — if  they  be  mistaken  for  fools 
and  madmen,  for  hypocrites  and  enthusiasts.  It  can- 
not be  otherwise ;  for  these  things  are  hid  from  the 
wise  and  prudent^  and  revealed  unto  babes. 


II. THE   MEMBERS    OF  THE    CHURCH, 

From  what  has  been  said,  you  will  easily  see  w^ho 
are  the  members  of  this  church :  they  are  believers, 
and  only  believers  ;  for  no  other  can  be  a  member. 
It  is,  indeed,  freely  offered  to  all — to  every  creature 
under  heaven;  no  person  or  character  is  excluded, 
who  does  not  through  unbelief  exclude  himself.  '^  Go 
ye  into  all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be 
■saved;  and  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.'^ — 
Mark  xvi.  15, 16.  Since  the  days  of  John,  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  preached,  and  every  man  [that  is,  every 
believer,]  presseth  into  it, — Luke  xvi.  16.  But  there 
were  many  who  could  not  enter  in,  because  of  unbe- 
lief ;  for  the  word  preached  did  not  profit  them,  not  being 
mixed  with  faith  in  them  that  heard  it. — Heb.  iv.  2.  It 
is  impossible  for  men  to  come  to  Christ,  who  do  not  be- 
lieve in  him  ;  nor  can  they  seek  to  enter  into  the  king- 
dom who  do  not  believe  there  is  a  kingdom. 

I'   While  Christ  remained  visible  on  the  earth j  his  body 


144 

was  the  temple  of  God;  For  ^SVi  him  dwelt  all  the 
fulness  of  the  Godhead^  bodily,^^  that  is,  corporeally. 
And  though  many  hailed  him,  ''good  master ^^^  yet 
none  were  considered  as  real  members  but  those  who 
believed  his  doctrine,  and  felt  its  sacred  influence  in 
forming  their  hearts  anew. 


III. THE   MODE   OF   CONSTITUTION. 

Though  God  had  much  people  scattered  abroad 
among  the  men  of  the  world,  yet  they  were  not  pro- 
perly constituted  into  a  distinct  body,  nor  vested  with 
the  powers  of  mutual  government,  until  after  Christ's 
resurrection.  ''  Other  sheep  have  /,  (that  is,  loving 
believers,)  which  are  not  of  this  fold  ;  them  also  I  must 
bring,  and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  he 
onefold  and  one  shepherd,^  ^ 

The  state  of  believers,  or  those  that  worshipped  God 
at  that  time,  in  the  spirit  of  simple  love,  may  be  com- 
pared to  the  materials  of  the  tabernacle  before  it  was 
erected.  They  were  scattered  abroad  in  different 
places,  and  did  not  exhibit  that  beautiful  appearance 
or  construction  which  they  afterwards  assumed.  The 
miracles  of  Christ,  and  the  wonders  which  attended 
his  death — the  unnatural  eclipse  of  the  sun — the  earth- 
quake— the  rending  of  the  veil — the  opening  of  the 
graves — the  resurrection,  &c.,  were  calculated  to  bring 
the  expectants  of  his  kingdom  to  Jerusalem,  from 
almost  every  quarter  of  the  world.  Accordingly,  about 
that  time,  we  find  a  vast  concourse  of  people  met  to- 
gether at  that  place. 

The  Apostles,  who  had  long  been  in  the  habit  of  be- 
lieving the  truth,  were  then,  by  faith  and  fervent 
prayer,  waiting  for  the  promise  of  the  Father. — Acts 
i.  4,  5 ;  and  Acts  ii.  throughout.  Christ  had  pro- 
mised that  they  should  be  baptized  with  the  Holy 


145 

Ghost,  and  endued  witli  power  from  on  high.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  the  Spirit  came, 
like  the  rushing  of  a  mighty  wind  ;  and  they  were  all 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  spake  with  other  tongues, 
as  the  Spirit  gave  them  utterance.  They  being  thus 
publicly  set  apart,  and  anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost, 
were  laid  as  the  foundation  of  this  spiritual  tabernacle. 
Men  had  lonsr  been  accustomed  to  look  for  God  on  a 
mount  that  might  be  touched,  or  in  a  temple  made  with 
hands  ;  but  now  the  dispensation  is  changed,  and  we 
behold  the  foundation  of  a  spiritual  temple — an  house 
not  made  with  hands,  nor  built  of  dead  materials,  but 
of  living  stones. — 1  Pet.  ii.  5. 

While  Jerusalem  was  the  place  to  worship,  the  tem- 
ple stood  there,  and  never  moved  out  of  the  spot,  nor 
grew  any  larger  ;  but  this  new  temple  was  designed  to 
eclipse  all  the  glory  of  the  former,  and  fill  the  whole 
earth.* — Hag.  ii.  9  ;  Dan.  ii.  35.  The  same  day  there 
were  added  to  the  building  about  three  thousand,  who 
continued  steadfastly  in  the  Apostles'  doctrine,  in  break- 
ing of  bread ,  and  in  prayers  ;  and  the  Lord  added  to 
the  Church  daily  such  as  should  be  saved. 

This  one  Church  is  represented  as  a  growing  body, 
but  never  a  single  idea  of  others  being  formed  out  of  it. 
Unity  is  one  of  its  essential  characteristics. — Eph.  iv. 
4,  5.  Thej'e  is  one  body  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  ye  are 
called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling  :  one  Lord,  one  fait h, 
one  baptism,  one  God,  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all, 
and  through  all,  and  in  you  all.   This  one  Church,  whose 


*  There  were  two  temples  at  Jerusalem,  figurative  of  two  gospel 
churches.  The  first  church  was  established  in  consequence  of 
Christ's  first  appearance  ;  and  the  second  to  be  in  consequence  of 
his  second  appearance :  the  latter  of  which  was  to  eclipse  the  glory 
of  the  former,  and  fill  the  whole  earth  ;  but  both  to  be  founded  and 
built  by  the  same  agent,  namely,  the  Holy  Ghost. 

13 


146 

Centre  was  visibly  marked  at  Jerusalem,  spread  its  cir- 
cumference to  all  the  countries  round  about,  and  "svill 
not  cease  to  increase  till  it  includes  the  whole  world, 
as  leaven  which  is  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till 
the  whole  is  leavened ;  or  as  mustard-seed  hid  in  the 
ground,  grows  up  into  a  great  tree,  till  the  fowls  of  the 
air  can  lodge  in  the  branches  of  it.  In  a  short  time 
after  the  day  of  Pentecost,  we  find  the  Church  of  God 
planted  in  Samaria,  at  Damascus,  in  the  house  of  Cor- 
nelius, &c.,  where  it  still  appeared  the  same,  composed 
of  believers,  set  up  and  anointed  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 
Great  opposition  was  made  to  its  progress,  but  the  more 
did  it  daily  increase,  and  believers  were  the  more  added 
to  the  Lord,  multitudes  both  of  men  and  women. 

This  one  Church  of  God  did  not  respect  the  persons 
but  the  characters  of  men.  It  included  Jews  and 
Greeks,  Barbarians,  Scythians,  bond  and  free.  Hence 
we  find,  in  a  little  time,  its  members  w^ere  dispersed 
over  all  the  worlds  and  were  found  in  every  nation 
under  heaven,  of  every  kindred  and  tongue  upon  the 
face  of  the  earth. 

From  this  view  of  the  matter,  would  it  not  appear 
next  to  impossible  that  persons  so  widely  dispersed 
could  be  preserved  in  unity  1 

How  were  they  fashioned  alike  1  Upon  what  prin- 
ciple were  they  united?  And  by  what  rules  wer*^ 
they  obliged  to  walk  1  What  confession  of  faith  ha- 
they  as  a  bond  of  union  1  What  compendium  of  doc- 
trines, or  definite  code  of  laws,  to  be  universally  sub- 
scribed "l  Unhappily  for  the  Church  in  our  day,  (if 
there  were  such,)  the}^  have  been  lost  in  the  ruins  of 
time,  so  that  not  a  single  trace  of  them  is  to  be  found. 
The  only  bond  of  union  transmitted  to  us,  and  which 
is  indeed  the  only  bond  that  can  unite  Christians,  is 
found  in  the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  true  confession  of 
faith,  see  Eph.  iv.  15,  16.     £iU  speaking  the  truth  in 


147 

love,  may  grow  up  into  him  in  all  things,  who  is  the  head, 
even  Christ :  from  whom  the  whole  body  fitly  joined  to- 
gether hy  that  which  every  joint  supplieth^  (or  by  the 
supply  of  every  joint,)  according  to  the  effectual  work^ 
ing  (or  energy)  m  the  measure  of  every  part,  maketh  in- 
crease of  the  body,  unto  the  edfying  (or  building  up) 
of  itself  in  love.''^  Col.  ii.  19,  ''  Holding  the  head, 
^ from  which  the  whole  body,  by  joints  and  bands,  having 
nourishment  ministered,  and  knit  together,  increaseth 
with  the  increase  of  ,God.^^  We  see  here  that  from 
Christ  the  head,  the  living  Spirit  flov^^s  to  all  the  mem- 
bers, which  fitly,  or  exactly  joins,  compacts,  and  knits 
them  together  in  the  bonds  of  love ;  builds,  or  rears 
them  up,  worketh  effectually,  or  exerts  and  exercises 
its  energy  according  to  the  measure  or  size  of  every 
part,  and  ministers  proper  nourishment  to  promote  the 
proportionate  growth  of  every  member  of  the  body  of 
Christ.  This  is  the  sweet  anointing  oil,  the  unction 
from  the  Holy  One,  the  Spirit  of  God,  or  it  is  Christ 
himself  by  his  Spirit,  shed  abroad  or  diffused  through- 
out the  whole  body,  according  to  the  capacity  of  every 
member. 

This  Spirit  is  the  cement,  the  true  bond  of  union. 
Thus  Christ  prays,  John  xvii.  11,  21,  23 — "  Holy 
Father,  keep,  through  thine  own  name,  those  whom  thou 
hast  given  me,  that  they  may  be  one  ;  as  thou.  Father,  art 
in  me,  and  I  in  thee,  that  they  also  may  be  one,  even  as 
tve  are  one;  I  in  them  and  thou  in  me,  that  they  may  be 
made  perfect  in  one.^^  We  find  here  that  Christ's 
prayer  is,  that  his  followers  may  be  made  one,  and 
kept  completely  so  ;  not  by  means  of  some  external 
law  or  form  of  words,  but  by  the  name  of  God.  That 
they  may  be  one  in  us,  says  he :  living  and  walking 
in  the  Father  and  the  Son ;  and  the  Father  and  the 
Son  living  and  walking  in  them  :  and  thus  to  form 
and  preserve  the  union,  he  gives  them  the  glory 
which  he  received  from  the  Father,  i,  e.,  his  one  Spirit, 
whereby  they  are  constituted  one  :  For  "  he  that  is 
joined  to  the  Lord  is  one  spirit,^^ — 1  Cor.  vi.  17,  Christ 


148 

dwells  in  his  heart  by  faith  ;  and  as  long  as  the  mem- 
bers of  the  body  continue  in  the  faith,  they  are  so  in- 
timately united,  that  any  outward  bond  could  only 
serve  as  a  burdensome  yoke.  But  if  any  of  his  pro- 
fessed members  are  not  joined  to  the  Lord  in  one 
spirit,  their  outward  bonds  are  only  like  binding  two 
or  more  dead  bodies  together,  which  hastens  their 
putrefaction,  and  renders  their  ill  savor  more  intolera- 
ble to  the  living.  Without  this  living  Spirit,  the  most 
perfect  form  or  set  of  rules  which  could  be  made, 
though  it  were  even  by  God  himself,  could  not  cement 
them  together  in  the  bonds  of  love,  nor  make  them 
one  in  heart. 

Mankind  are  not  bound  together  like  the  parts  of  a 
machine,  nor  put  in  motion  by  external  force;  they 
must  be  influenced  by  motive,  and  that  motive  must 
be  in  the  heart.  This  is  the  law  of  God,  received  and 
engraven  on  the  heart  through  faith  ;  hence  it  is  said 
to  be  written  '^  not  with  ink^  but  with  the  Spirit  of  the 
living  God  ;  not  on  tables  of  stone ^  but  on  fleshly  tables 
of  the  heart,^^  2  Cor.  iii.  3.  ''  After  these  days,  saith 
the  Lord,  I  will  put  my  law  in  their  inward  parts ^  and 
write  it  in  their  he  arts, ^^  Jer.  xxxi.  33.  ^'^  Christ  is 
the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness^  to  every  one  that 
believeth.^^  Rom.  x.  4.  Now  the  end  of  the  command- 
ment is  charity  out  of  a  pure  heart.  He  that  dwelleth 
in  love,  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him.  The  hus- 
bandman had  an  external  law  for  his  fig-tree; — that 
if  it  bore  fruit,  well,  if  not,  he  would  cut  it  down. 
But  the  fig-tree  was  not  governed  by  this  law  ;  it 
acted  according  to  a  law  in  itself.  So  we  are  com- 
manded to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of  holiness,  without 
WHICH  NO  MAN  SHALL  SEE  THE  LoRD.  But  this  Com- 
mand, so  long  as  it  is  not  in  our  nature,  has  no  more 
influence  in  the  production  of  those  fruits,  than  the 
command  of  the  husbandman  to  his  fig-tree.  We  see 
no  outward  law  necessary  to  impel  the  rivers  to  the 
ocean — bind  the  stones  to  the  surface  of  the  earth,  or 


149 

prevent  the  trees  from  growing  downward.  No  more 
does  a  believer  want  an  external  law  to  oblige  him  to 
love  God  and  his  neighbor  :  for  if  there  had  been  an 
external  law  given,  which  could  have  given  life, 
verily  righteousness  should  have  been  by  the  law. 
Examine  your  wheat-field,  and  you  will  find  uni- 
formity among  all  the  grains  :  By  what  rule  is  this 
uniformity  effected  ?  You  may  observe  the  same  uni- 
formity in  every  species  of  vegetables,  plants  and 
trees.  And  are  those  meaner  things  governed  by  real 
operative  laws,  and  yet  God's  noblest  creature,  man, 
left  at  random  to  follow  every  shadow  or  image,  and 
bend  to  every  device  of  human  wisdom?  No,  there 
is  one  law  and  one  government  for  man  ;  and  all  that 
are  under  that  government  are  as  uniform  as  the 
leaves  on  an  apple  tree.  This  law  is  nothing  less 
than  the  one  Spirit  of  the  eternal  God,  which  lives  and 
operates  in  the  Church,  as  his  body  ;  for  by  one  Spirit 
we  are  all  baptized  into  one  body,  and  have  all  been 
made  to  drink  into  that  one  Spirit.  Therefore,  they 
that  have  not  this  Spirit,  are  lawless  and  disobedient, 
filthy  dreamers,  that  defile  the  flesh,  despise  govern- 
ment, presumptuous  are  they,  self-willed,  who  are  not 
afraid  to  speak  evil  of  dignities  ;  for  if  any  man  have 
not  the  Spirit  of  Christy  he  is  none  of  his.  Thus  it  ap- 
pears that  the  Christian's  law  is  in  his  heart,  a  copy"^ 
of  which  is  drawn  out  in  the  New  Testament. 

The  members  of  the  human  body  need  no  bond  of 
union  to  cause  them  to  act  in  concert,  or  to  keep  them 


*  Our  present  copy  of  the  New  Testament,  is  but  a  copy  of  a 
copy,  &c.,  of  a  translation  of  a  copy,  &c.,  of  what  was  written  by 
the  Apostles  ;  and  what  they  wrote,  was  only  a  copy  of  the  inter- 
nal law.  Learned  men  say  that  a  great  many  errors  have  crept  in 
by  so  much  copying  and  translating ;  and  if  so,  it  must  be  the  more 
necessary  to  have  the  original  made  manifest. 

13* 


150 

from  quarrelling  and  separating,  but  that  Spirit  wbich 
animates  the  whole  frame.  The  whole  current  of  the 
New  Testament  goes  to  show  that  the  Spirit  of  Jesus 
is  the  true  bond  of  union  in  his  Church  ;  but  we  find 
not  the  least  intimation  of  any  other  bond  being  neces- 
sary. All  who  have  received  this  one  Spirit,  and  are 
living  and  walking  in  it,  are  united  together  by  the 
hand  of  God  ;  and  what  God  hath  joined  together,  let 
not  man  put  asunder ;  nay,  it  cannot  be  done,  they 
are  and  must  continue  one  j  though  they  should  be 
called  by  never  so  many  names,  or  externally  distin- 
guished by  many  peculiarities.  The  most  that  these 
things  can  do,  is  to  make  them  think  they  are  divided, 
and  to  prevent  their  external  communion,  sweet  fel- 
lowship and  mutual  comfort. 

But  seeing  Christians  are  one,*  and  have  fellowship 
with  the  Father  and  the  Son  by  one  Spirit,  it  is  the 
most  unreasonable  thing  in  the  world  for  them  to  be 
separated  in  their  external  communion*  This  separa- 
tion has  been  the  work  of  the  devil ;  and  it  is  by  his 
means  that  it  is  continued  in  the  world. 

Let  Christians  look  back  to  the  history  of  primitive 
Christianity,  as  recorded  in  the  New  Testament.  Let 
them  take  a  view  of  the  plain  and  native  simplicity 
which  shines  out  there  ;  the  beautiful  equality  that 
reigned  among  the  apostolic  churches ;  and  let  them 
pant  to  breathe  that  native  air. 

They  were  all  brethren  and  sisters — met  together  with 
one  accord — united  in  one  mind  and  one  judgment. 
They  ate  their  meat  with  gladness  and  singleness  of 
heart ;  they  went  from  house  to  house,  from  one  love- 
feast  to  another ;    were  strictly  forbidden  to  call  them- 


*  And  as  uniform  as  the  leaves  on  an  apple  tree. 


151 

selves  by  the  name  of  Paul  ov  ApoUos,  &c.  And  such 
as  did  were  pronounced  carnal,  sensual,  having  not  the 
Spirit. 

View  the  churches  scattered  abroad,  planted  and 
visited  by  the  Apostles  and  others :  they  had  all  access 
to  each  other,  and  communion  together.  And  that  one 
Spirit  of  God  which  lives  in  every  Christian,  has  made 
no  provision  for  acting  otherwise,  till  the  end  of  time.* 

The  evangelists  went  out  two  and  two,  or  in  larger 
companies,  and  in  every  place  where  the  Word  was 
gladly  received,  those  who  gave  public  testimony  of 
their  faith  were  baptized,  received  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
were  set  in  order  for  the  admission  of  others  who  might 
afterwards  believe.     [}3^  Go,  and  do  thou  likewise, 

Christ. 


*  But  the  followers  of  Antichrist,  whose  communion  is  in  types 
aud  shadows,  always  did,  and  always  will  act  otherwise, 


THE 


LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT 


OF 


SPRINGFIELD    PRESBYTERY. 


For  where  a  testament  is,  there  must  of  necessity  be 
the  death  of  the  testator ;  for  a  testament  is  of  force 
after  men  are  dead,  otherwise  it  is  of  no  strength  at 
all  while  the  testator  liveth.  Thou  fool,  that  which 
thou  sowest  is  not  quickened,  except  it  die.  Verily, 
verily,  I  say  unto  you,  except  a  corn  of  wheat  fall  into 
the  ground,  and  die,  it  abideth  alone;  but  if  it  die,  it 
bringeth  forth  much  fruit.  Whose  voice  then  shook 
the  earth  ;  but  now  he  hath  promised,  saying,  yet 
once  more  I  shake  not  the  earth  only,  but  also  heaven. 
And  this  word,  yet  once  more,  signifies  the  removing 
of  those  things  that  are  shaken  as  of  things  that  are 
made,  that  those  things  which  cannot  be  shaken  may 
remain. 

Scripture. 


LAST  WILL  AND  TESTAMENT,  &C. 


The  Presbytery  of  Springfield,  sitting  at  Cane- 
ridge,  in  the  county  of  Bourbon,  being  through  a 
gracious  Providence  in  more  than  ordinary  health, 
growing  in  strength  and  size  daily  ;  and  in  perfect 
soundness  and  composure  of  mind  ;  but  knowing  that 
it  is  appointed  for  all  delegated  bodies  once  to  die, 
and  considering  that  the  life  of  every  such  body  is 
very  uncertain,  do  make,  and  ordain  this  our  Last 
Will  and  Testament,  in  manner  and  form  following, 
viz. : 

Imprimis.  We  will,  that  this  body  die,  be  dissolved, 
and  sink  into  union  with  the  Body  of  Christ  at  large  ; 
for  there  is  but  one  body  and  one  Spirit,  even  as  we 
are  called  in.  one  hope  of  our  calling. 

Item.  We  will,  that  our  name  of  distinction,  with 
its  Reverend  title,  be  forgotten,  that  there  be  but  one 
Lord  over  God's  heritage,  and  his  name  one. 

Item.  We  will,  that  our  power  of  making  laws  for 
the  government  of  the  Church,  and  executing  them 
by  delegated  authority,  forever  cease  ;  that  the  people 
may  have  free  course  to  the  Bible,  and  adopt  the  law 
of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Item.  We  will,  that  candidates  for  the  gospel 
ministry  henceforth  study  the  Holy  Scriptures  with 


155 

fervent  prayer,  and  obtain  license  from  God  to  preach 
the  simple  gospel,  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down  from 
Heaven^  without  any  mixture  of  philosophy,  vain  de- 
ceit, traditions  of  men,  or  the  rudiments  of  the  world. 
And  let  none  henceforth  take  this  honor  to  himself ^  hut 
he  that  is  called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron. 

Item.  We  will,  that  the  Church  of  Christ  assume 
her  native  right  of  internal  government — try  her  can- 
didates for  the  ministry,  as  to  their  soundness  in  the 
faith,  acquaintance  with  experimental  religion,  gravi- 
ty and  aptness  to  teach  ;  and  admit  no  other  proof  of 
their  authority,  but  Christ  speaking  in  them.  We 
loill  that  the  Church  of  Christ  look  up  to  the  Lord  of 
the  harvest  to  send  forth  laborers  into  his  harvest ; 
and  that  she  resume  her  primitive  right  of  trying 
those  who  say  they  are  Apostles,  and  are  not. 

Item.  We  will,  that  each  particular  Church,  as  a 
body,  actuated  by  the  same  Spirit,  choose  her  own 
preacher,  and  support  him  by  a  free  will  offering, 
without  written  call  or  subscription — admit  members — 
remove  offences — -and  never  henceforth  delegate  her 
right  of  government  to  any  man  or  set  of  men  what- 
ever. 

Item.  We  will,  that  the  people  henceforth  take  the 
Bible  as  the  only  sure  guide  to  heaven  ;  and  as  many 
as  are  offended  with  other  books  which  stand  in  com- 
petition v/ith  it,  may  cast  them  into  the  fire  if  they 
choose  ;  for  it  is  better  to  enter  into  life  having  one 
book,  than  having  many  to  be  cast  into  hell. 

Item.  We  will,  that  preachers  and  people,  cultivate 
a  spirit  of  mutual  forbearance  ;  pray  more  and  dispute 
less ;  and  while  they  behold  the  signs  of  the  times, 
look  up,  and  confidently  expect  that  redempliun  draw- 
eth  nigh. 


156 

Item.  We  will,  that  our  weak  brethren,  who  may 
have  been  wishing  to  make  the  Presbytery  of  Spring- 
field their  King,  and  wot  not  what  is  now  become  of 
it,  betake  themselves  to  the  Rock  of  Ages,  and  follow 
Jesus  for  the  future. 

Item.  We  will,  that  the  Synod  of  Kentucky  exam- 
ine every  member,  who  may  be  suspected  of  having 
departed  from  the  Confession  of  Faith,  and  suspend 
every  such  suspected  heretic  immediately,  in  order 
that  the  oppressed  may  go  free,  and  taste  the  sweets 
of  gospel  liberty. 

Item.  We  will,  that  Ja— —  ,  the  author  of  two 

letters  lately  published  in  Lexington,  be  encouraged 
in  his  zeal  to  destroy  partyism — we  will  moreover, 
that  our  past  conduct  be  examined  into  by  all  who 
may  have  correct  information ;  but  let  foreigners  be- 
ware of  speaking  evil  of  things  which  they  know  not. 

Item.  Finally,  we  will,  that  all  our  sister  bodies, 
read  their  Bibles  carefully,  that  they  may  see  their 
fate  there  determined,  and  prepare  for  death  before  it 
is  too  late. 


Springfield  Presbytery,  >  ry     ^^  i 
June  28th,  1804.  \  L^*  ^•-' 


Robert  Marshal, 

John  Dunlavy, 

Richard  M'Nemar,    ,  rir-^ 

B.  W.  Stone,  !"  «"»<««»*««• 

John  Thompson, 

David  Purviance, 


the  end. 


w:^!^;^-^^: 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 

289.8M23K1846  C001 

THE  KENTUCKY  REVIVAL  NY 


3  0112 


025279560 


